IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SEYCHELLES

Civil Side: MA 323/2015

(arising in  29/2014)

[2016] SCSC 289    

FREGATE ISLAND PRIVATE LIMITED

versus

DF PROJECTS PROPERTIES PROPRIETARY LIMITED

Heard:                         3 February 2016

Counsel:                      Mr. Divino Sabino for petitioner         

                                    Mr. Basil Hoareau for respondent                                        

Delivered:                   7 April 2016

ORDER ON MOTION

Robinson J

[1]  Introduction

[2]  The question is whether or not this court may in the exercise of its discretion grant leave to the applicant to appeal from Civil Side: MA32/2015 arising in CC29/2014 under section 12 (2) (a) and (b) of the Courts Act CAP 52. The Courts Act CAP 52 is hereinafter referred to as the Courts Act.

[3]  Background to MA323/2015 arising in Head Suit:

MA32/2015 arising in Head Suit

[4] The applicant in MA32/2015 arising in CC29/2014 is the plaintiff in CC29/2014 filed in the Supreme Court of Seychelles on 26 September, 2014. CC29/2014 is hereinafter referred to as the Head Suit. The respondent in MA32/2015 arising in the Head Suit is the defendant in the Head Suit.

[5]  In MA32/2015 arising in the Head Suit, the applicant sought as against the respondent provisional attachment and seizure orders under section 280 of the Seychelles Code of Civil Procedure CAP 213. The Seychelles Code of Civil Procedure CAP 213 is hereinafter referred to as the ″SCCP″.  On 6 November, 2015, this court basing itself on section 281 of the SCCP, and the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court granted the relief prayed for by the applicant as against the respondent pending the final determination of the Head suit or pending further orders of this court.

[6] MA323/2015 arising in the Head Suit

[7]  The respondent in MA32/2015 arising in the Head Suit (now applicant) being dissatisfied with the orders of this court has applied for leave to appeal to the Seychelles Court of Appeal under section 12 (2) (a) and (b) of the Courts Act.

[8]  The application was commenced by way of Notice of Motion supported by an affidavit sworn by Wayne Ronald Kafcsak, the Managing Director of the applicant.

[9]  The respondent filed affidavit in reply. The affidavit was sworn by one Tiffany Jane Andraos, who averred in the affidavit that she is a Director of the respondent.  

[10]  Case for applicant

[11]  Wayne Ronald Kafcsak averred the following in the affidavit in support of the application for leave to appeal to the Seychelles Court of Appeal ?

″5.  That the Respondent had applied to the court in MA No. 32 of 2015 for the provisional attachment of funds belonging to the Applicant in bank accounts in Barclays, Seychelles International Mercantile Banking Corporation and the Mauritian Commercial Bank and for the provisional seizure of the Applicant’s movable assets, with particular reference to the Applicants’ sea vessels.

6.  That on the 6^th November 2015, the learned Judge Robinson granted the Respondent’s application for provisional seizure and attachment: (1) ordering the above mentioned banks not to allow any payments from or withdrawals from the Applicant’s bank accounts held with them; (ii) ordering the Registrar to provisionally seized all movable property in the possession of or belonging to the Applicant and (iii) costs.

7.  Being dissatisfied with the Court’s ruling, the Applicant wishes to appeal. The case proper has been set on the 27^th November 2015 for a ruling on another application of the Applicant.

8.  I am advised and I verily believe that the learned Judge erred in both the law and on the facts in her ruling. An indicative draft of the grounds of appeal is herewith attached as Exhibit WK1.

9.  I am therefore advised and verily believe that the intended Appeal discloses important issues relating to our law concerning the provisional seizures and attachments upon which further argument and a decision of the Court of Appeal would be in the public interest. The court of Appeal is invited to consider the draconian effects of such orders, especially where it could lead to great difficulties and hardship to a party.

10.  I accordingly pray this Honourable Court to grant the reliefs sought in the Applicant’s motion.″.

[12]  In short the applicant will be inviting the Seychelles Court of Appeal to consider, ″the draconian effects of such orders [provisional seizures and attachments] to a party″.  Exhibit WK1, ″Draft Grounds Of Appeal″, among other things, lists the ″draconian effects of such orders″.

[13]  Case for respondent

[14]  Tiffany Jane Andraos, informed by learned counsel, Mr. Hoareau, verily believes that (i) the application of the applicant is baseless and without merits whatsoever, and (ii) the indicative, ″Draft Grounds Of Appeal″ does not disclose important issues relating to the written laws of Seychelles concerning the provisional seizure and attachment upon which further argument and a decision of the Seychelles Court of Appeal would be in the public advantage and interest.

[15]  Submissions of counsel

[16]  Mr. Sabino and Mr. Hoareau were in agreement that two conditions must be satisfied before this court may exercise its discretionary powers to grant leave to appeal to the Seychelles Court of Appeal under section 12 (2) (a) and (b) of the Courts Act. Learned counsel submitted that this court must be satisfied, ″(a) that the interlocutory judgment disposes so substantially of all the matters in issue as to leave only subordinate or ancillary matters for decision; and (b) that there are grounds for treating the case as an exceptional one and granting leave to bring it under review″: see Pillay v. Pillay (No. 2) (1970) SLR 79 at page 80, Beitsma v. Dingjan (No. 2) (1974) SLR 302, Islands Development Company Limited v. EME Management Services Limited SCA 31/09 delivered on 11 December, 2009, [EME Management Services Limited v. Islands Development Company Limited CS. No. 90/09] and Cable & Wireless Seychelles Ltd and Innocente Alpha Ventigadoo Gangadoo SCA MA: 2 of 2013 delivered on 30 August, 2013, [Innocente Alpha Ventigadoo Gangadoo v. Cable & Wireless Seychelles Ltd CS No. 175 of 2011].

[17]  Mr. Sabino relying on the evidence of Wayne Ronald Kafcsak submitted that the interlocutory judgment or order of this court should come under review principally because irreparable loss would be caused to the defendant/applicant if the Head Suit was to proceed without the interlocutory judgment or order being corrected. The position of the applicant, as stated in the affidavit, is that such orders, which it termed, ″draconian″, could lead to great difficulties and hardship to a party.  Learned counsel also contended that the orders of this court are manifestly wrong.

[18]  Mr. Hoareau did not accept the submissions for the applicant. Mr. Hoareau relying on the evidence of Tiffany Jane Andraos submitted that an appeal from such a judgment or order is not looked upon favourably under the Courts Act since it is an obstacle to the ordinary course of the Head Suit, and will delay its progress amounting to a breach of the plaintiff’s right to a fair hearing. This is why an appeal from such judgment or order is at the discretion of this court only when the criteria set out above are fulfilled. He referred this court to the case of Pillay, supra, wherein Judge Sauzier, as he then was, refused to exercise his discretion to grant leave to appeal to the Court of Civil Appeal for Mauritius against a ruling by the Supreme Court rejecting a plea in limine litis stating that ?

″[a]n appeal at this stage would entail unnecessary delay and expense and would be most prejudicial to the interests of the plaintiff. Granting leave to appeal to the defendant at this stage would in practice amount to a denial of justice to the plaintiff. As this case does not come within paragraphs (a) and (b) above I will not exercise my discretion to grant the application which is dismissed with costs″.

[19]  Further, Mr. Hoareau submitted that the applicant has not shown that the judgment or order of this court is manifestly wrong and irreparable loss would be caused to the defendant/applicant. Relying on the Seychelles Court of Appeal ruling in the matter of Islands Development Company Limited, supra, he submitted that for a case to be treated as an, ″exceptional one″, in order to grant leave to appeal ?

″[…] one must be able to show that the interlocutory judgment or order is manifestly wrong and irreparable loss would be caused to him or her if the case proper were to proceed without the interlocutory judgment or order being corrected. It would not be in the ′public advantage and interest′ to unnecessarily delay trials before the Supreme Court, otherwise.″ (See also the Cable & Wireless Seychelles Ltd case, supra).

Mr. Hoareau referred this court to paragraphs (14), (15) and (16) of the Islands Development Company Limited case, supra, which examine this criterion. Justice A. F.T. Fernando delivering the judgment of the Seychelles Court of Appeal stated ?

            ″(14)    A challenge which goes to the merits of the Ruling of the 20^th of July namely, that the learned Trial Judge failed to properly consider and weigh all evidence and facts placed before him and to correctly apply the law, is not ground for treating this case as an exceptional one and granting leave to bring it under review.  Certainly there are likely to be interlocutory orders made in the course of a trial which are erroneous. If leave is to be granted to appeal against each such order, the procedural bar in section 12 of the Courts Act, which is in accordance with article 120 (2) of the Constitution would be rendered meaningless. The appeal from the final decision would enable this court to correct any interlocutory order which it may deem erroneous.

            (15)   The ground that the provisional order has drastic financial implications to the company as correctly argued by the Respondent/Plaintiff has not been substantiated. The averment that ″the provisional order will only have the effect of financially strangling to death the company″ in the Affidavit filed before this court by the Applicant-Defendant casts doubts as to the ability of the Applicant-Defendant to pay the Respondent-Plaintiff if it were to succeed and therefore gives justification to the making of the provisional order.

           (16) The Applicant-Defendant has not clarified in his affidavit as to how the issue involved in this case is of 'national interest' or as to why Special Leave should be granted 'in the interest of justice'. Making broad statements in an Affidavit without substantiating them, in a case which has to be decided purely on the basis of the averments contained in affidavits, does not espouse the cause of the party relying on such affidavit. All litigants filing cases before the courts do so ″in the interest of justice″, unless there has been a clear abuse of the process of the courts.″.

[20]  Further, learned counsel submitted that the Supreme Court and the Seychelles Court of Appeal will take into account the same factors in their consideration of whether or not to grant leave to appeal. On the question of, ″special leave″ learned counsel referring to the case of Islands Development Company Limited, supra, submitted that the words, ″special leave″ have been used with a purpose ?

″[…] namely in this situation the Court of Appeal is being called upon to exercise its jurisdiction in a matter where no appeal lies as of right but also to interfere with the exercise of discretion by the Supreme Court in refusing to grant leave to appeal. In the opinion of this court ″Special Leave″ should therefore be granted only where there are exceptional reasons for doing so, or in view of reasons which may not have been in the knowledge of the Applicant at the time leave to appeal was sought from the Supreme Court or for reasons that supervened after the refusal to grant leave by the Supreme Court. The reasons before the court should be such that the non-granting of ″Special Leave″ by this court is likely to offend the principle of fair hearing enunciated in the Constitution.  It is to be noted however that an appeal against an interlocutory judgment or order has a tendency to delay the main action and contravene the rights of a person to a fair hearing ″within a reasonable time″ as stipulated by article 19 (7) of the Constitution.

[21] In light of the above, Mr. Hoareau invited this court to consider the following.

[22]   The applicant has made broad statements in paragraph 9, of the affidavit, without substantiating them. The applicant should have put before this court the, ″important issues relating to our law concerning the provisional seizures and attachments upon which further argument and a decision of the Court of Appeal would be in the public advantage and interest″.

[23]   The applicant is challenging the merits of the judgment or order. An appeal from the final decision would enable the Seychelles Court of Appeal to correct the order if it deems it erroneous.

[24]   The ground that the provisional order, ″could lead to great difficulties and hardship to a party″ has not been substantiated. More importantly the affidavit does not state how the seizure and attachment orders could lead to great difficulties and hardship to the defendant/applicant. The position of the respondent is that such an averment in any event; ″casts doubts as to the ability of the [defendant/applicant] to pay the [plaintiff] if it were to succeed and therefore gives justification to the making of the provisional order″.

[25]  The applicant has not averred in its affidavit as to how the question involved in this case is of national interest.

[26]  The seizure and provisional orders made by this court do not dispose so substantially of all the matters in issue as to leave only subordinate or ancillary matters for decision.

[27]  An appeal at this stage will delay the Head Suit and contravene the rights of the plaintiff/respondent to a fair hearing, ″within a reasonable time″.

[28]  In light of all the above, this case is not an exceptional one, and the, ″Draft Grounds Of Appeal″ does not raise exceptional grounds.

[29]   The law

[30]   Section 12 of the Courts Act provides for appeal in civil matters. Section 12 of the Courts Act reads as follows ?

″Appeals in civil matters

12. (1) Subject as otherwise provided in this Act or in any other law, the Court of Appeal shall, in civil matters, have jurisdiction to hear and determine appeals from any judgement or order of the Supreme Court given or made in its original or appellate jurisdiction.

(2) (a)  In civil matters no appeal shall lie as of right-

(i)  from any interlocutory judgment or order of the Supreme Court; or

(ii) from any final judgment or order of the Supreme Court where the only subject matter of the appeal has a monetary value and that value does not exceed ten thousand rupees.

(b) In any such cases as aforesaid the Supreme Court may, in its discretion, grant leave to appeal if, in its opinion, the question involved in the appeal is one which ought to be the subject matter of an appeal.

(c) Should the Supreme Court refuse to grant leave to appeal under the preceding paragraph, the Court of Appeal may grant special leave to appeal.

(3) For all the purposes of and incidental to the hearing and determination of any appeal, and the amendment, execution and enforcement of any judgment or order made thereon, the Court of Appeal shall have all the powers, authority and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Seychelles and of the Court of Appeal in England.

(4) In this section the expression “civil matters” includes all non-criminal matters.″.

[31]   Discussion

[32]  This court has considered the application of the applicant, the affidavit in reply of the respondent, and the submissions of both counsel.

[33]   Applying section 12 (2) (a) and (b) of the Courts Act and the jurisprudence which examines that section this court is of opinion that this matter does not dispose so substantially of the matters in issue as to leave only subordinate or ancillary matters for decision: see paragraphs (18) and (19) of  Islands Development Company Limited, case, supra. It is noted that the affidavit of the applicant does not contain any such averment. The applicant will be entitled as of right to question the decision in the interlocutory judgment if and when it exercises its right to appeal from the final judgment or order. It is also the considered view of this court that an appeal at this point in time would result in considerable delay and expense and would be most prejudicial to the interests of the plaintiff.

[34]  Further, this court must be satisfied that there are grounds for treating this matter as an exceptional one and granting leave to bring it under review. This court having considered the evidence of the applicant is not satisfied that there are grounds for treating this matter as an exceptional one and granting leave to bring it under review. The submissions of Mr. Hoareau on point, which I accept, have been of assistance to this court.

[35]  DECISION

[36]  In light of the above, this court will not exercise its discretion under section 12 (2) (a)  and (b) of the Courts Act to grant leave to the applicant to appeal to the Seychelles Court of Appeal against the Ruling of this court delivered on the 6 November, 2015.

Signed, dated and delivered at Ile du Port on 7 April 2016

F Robinson
Judge of the Supreme Court