[2023]DLHC12177 • March 20, 2023 • High Court
THE REPUBLIC vs. STEPHEN OBENG DARKO ESQ.
The Respondent, a licensed lawyer, was the subject of a contempt of court application alleging that he aided his client, Afua Asantewaa, in disrespecting court orders by filing multiple writs on the same subject matter, thereby obstructing justice and undermining court authority. The Applicants contended that the Respondent's conduct was unprofessional and calculated to make a mockery of the judicial system. The Respondent denied the allegations, asserting that he acted within his professional duties and that the application was frivolous and an abuse of court process.
read moreKWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO, JA i. Introduction: [1) The Respondent, a licensed lawyer by profession and a member in good standing of the Ghana Bar Association is the subject matter of this application for contempt of court. The application prays the Court to use "the big stick of civil litigation," as described by this Court in an umepo1ied case of Republic versus Kamassah & 4 Others with Suit No: AP 227/2016 delivered on October 11, 2016. The motion paper in this application provides as follows: "TAKE NOTICE that this Honourable Court will be moved by JONATHAN T. SARBLAH ESQ, Counsel for Applicants herein, praying this Honourable Court for an order of committal for contempt against Respondent herein to a 10-Days prison sentence upon the grounds contained in the affidavit in support". ii. The Case against the Respondent: [2] The application has the 13 paragraphed affidavit of Rebecca Abbey, who is described as a clerk of the "Solicitor for the Applicants". It is interesting that the d...