0013s ti
preliminary hearing and if the case is to be adjourned due to the absence of
witnesses or any other cause, nothing in this section shall be construed as
requiring the same judge or magistrate who held the preliminary hearing under
this section to preside at the trial."
90. The
court is of the view that it is self-evident, from section 192 of the Tanzanian
Criminal Procedure Act, that the law does not make it compulsory for the
preliminary hearing and trial to be presided over by the same judge. The
Applicants' submission in this respect does not hold and is therefore dismissed.
9'1
.
As a consequence of the above, the Court finds that the Respondent State has
not violated the Applicants' right protected under Article 7(1)(a) of the charter
in respect of the hearing of the preliminary and trial proceedings.
B. Alleged violation of the right to Iife
the Respondent state has violated Articles I and 4
of the charter by failing to amend section 197 of the penal code of ranzania,
92. The Applicants allege that
which provides for the mandatory impositon of the death penalty in cases of
murder. lt is their contention that, had the Respondent state adopted legislative
and other measures stated under Article 1 of the Charter, the High Court and
court of Appeal would have presumably used varied reasoning and arrived at
different decisions. ln relation to the same allegation, the Applicants also aver
that the Respondent state failed to recognise that "human rights are inviolable,
and that human beings, the applicants herein inclusive, are entitled to respect
for their life and the integrity of person as guaranteed under Article 4 of the
African Charter...'.
93.The Respondent state did not respond to the Applicants'submission on this
point. However, in its response to the order for provisional Measures issued in
the present Application, the Respondent state avers that the provision for the
death sentence in its laws is in line with international norms, which do not
prohibit the imposition of the sentence.
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