Criminal law - defilement of a girl (under the age of sixteen years) contrary to Section 145(1) of the Penal Code - alternative charge of indecent assault of a female contrary to Section 144 of the Penal Code - accused person tried and convicted on the alternative charge and sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years - appeal against conviction and sentence - duty of a first appellate court to reconsider and re-evaluate the evidence before the trial court - complainant's evidence found to be contradictory,uncorroborated and raising doubt - whether the prosecution's evidence was sufficient to support the conviction.

Family law - divorce - petition for dissolution of marriage on grounds of desertion for over ten years and cruelty - whether the petitioner had established to the required standard of proof that she ought to be granted the petition sought.

[RULING] - Civil Procedure and Practice - Setting aside of ex-parte judgment - Application for court to allow filing of a defence as per the draft defence annexed to application - Principles considered of whether or not to set aside an interlocutory judgment - Effect of failure to file a defence after leave to file out of time has been granted - How the court treats matters concerning land - Order 9A Rule 10 and 11 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Negligence - duty of care - employer's duty of care towards employee - suit by employee against employer for damages on account of personal injuries sustained in the course of employment - whether the employer had breached its statutory duty of care towards the employee by failing to provide a safe working environment and equipment - whether the claimant was an employee of the respondent - whether a quarry is a factory within the meaning of section 5 of the Factories Act - quantum of general damages for personal injuries.

Land law - adverse possession - claim to title to land by adverse possession - claimant stating that he had been in possession of the land for over twenty two years - meaning of adverse possession - mere possession alone not sufficient to found a claim - duty of the claimant to show that his possession was adverse to that of the registered owner - matters that need to be established in order to prove a claim for adverse possession - a claimant who loses possession of the land to the registered owner ceases to be in adverse possession - Limitation of Actions Act sections 37, 38; Civil Procedure Rules Order 36 rules 3, 3D, 12

Criminal law - causing grievous harm contrary to Section 234 of the Penal Code - accused tried,convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years - appeal - whether the appellant had been convicted on uncorroborated and contradictory evidence - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - change of trial magistrate - accused person's evidence and defence heard by one magistrate but closing submissions heard by a different magistrate who delivered the judgment convicting the appellant - appellant's counsel having stated that he did not object to the change of magistrates and the continuation of the proceedings - whether the appellant had been prejudiced - Criminal Procedure Code section 200

[RULING] Civil Practice and Procedure-consent judgments-setting aside-principles the court will apply in considering whether or not to set aside consent judgments-Civil Procedure Rules, Orders XLV, rule 15; XXI, rule 22 and XLIX, rule 5

[RULING] Appeals-stay of execution pending appeal-factors the court will consider-Civil Procedure Rules, Order XLI