The Environmental Case Law Index is a collection of judgments from 10 African countries on topics relating to environmental law, both substantive and procedural. The collection focuses on cases where an environmental interest interacts with governmental or private interests.
Get started on finding judgments that are relevant to you by browsing the topic list on the left of the screen. Click the arrows next to the topic names to reveal a detailed list of sub-topics. Most judgments are accompanied by a short summary written by subject-area expert postgraduate students from the University of Cape Town.
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Nigrisoli and Another v Illomba Granite Company Limited and Others (Civil Cause Numbner 1111 of 2005) (1111 of 2005) [2008] MWHC 194 (03 November 2008); 
EL Index Declaratory Relief Civil Remedies Minerals, oil and gas Minerals and energy Environmental lawMinister of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs v Saner (MSCA Civil Appeal No. 70 of 2016) [2016] MWSC 153 (27 October 2016); Abuse of Process Conduct of proceedings Civil Procedure Attribution of Costs Costs Civil Remedies Minerals, oil and gas Minerals and energy Environmental law EL IndexThe court considered a summons to strike out a notice of appeal. The respondent, as applicant in this case, applied to the court for an order that the notice of appeal be struck out with costs on the grounds that it was obviously frivolous, vexation and an abuse of process. The respondent (applicant), contended that the appeal was not competent as it purported to bring up matters that were not raised in the court below for the assessment hearing.
The court considered whether the appeal was admissible or whether it constituted an abuse of process and should be struck out. It was held that the respondent (applicant) needed to satisfy the court that the grounds of appeal were obviously frivolous, vexation and an abuse of process.
The court found that the appellant was not challenging the judgement or liability, but merely the quantum of damages arrived at following the assessment of damages. This, the court held, could not be interpreted as an attempt to re-litigate the matter, as the respondent (applicant) alleged. The court, therefore, concluded that it could not be said with any degree of certainty that the appeal was obviously frivolous, vexation and an abuse of process.
Accordingly, the application failed and each party was ordered to bear its own costs.
S v Minister of Mining and Another (Ruling) (Judicial Review Cause No. 27 of 2013) [2017] MWHC 91 (21 June 2017); Judicial Review Appeals and reviews Civil Procedure Minerals, oil and gas Minerals and energy Environmental law EL IndexThis was a preliminary application for a stay of hearing in order for the matter to be referred to arbitration owing to the existence of an arbitration clause in a Royalties Agreement (RA), entered into in relation to the parties’ mining operations. The main matter involved an application for the discharge of leave to move for judicial review on a decision by the respondents to cancel a mining licence.
The court considered whether the judicial review proceedings should have been stayed owing to the existence of an arbitration clause in the RA; and whether the preliminary objection was or was not caught by the provisions of s 6(1) of the Arbitration Act.
The court noted that the main issues for determination revolved around two agreements: the Mining License (ML) and the (RA). The court found that the two agreements ought to have been applied as one agreement. This was mainly because the RA, was an agreement made pursuant to a provision in the ML, and secondly, because the RA provisions were the very ground upon which the ML was purportedly terminated.
The court therefore held that the arbitration clause was applicable. However, the court went on to hold that s 6(1) of the Act precluded the applicant from referring the matter arbitration after it had taken steps in the proceedings or delivered pleadings. The court found that the evidence was clear that the applicant had taken steps in the proceedings. Accordingly, the applicant could not rely on the arbitration clause.
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