NSIAH vs. ASARE & ORS [1959]DLHC2033

Date	1959-01-17
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1959]DLHC2033

OLLENNU J.

DADZIE (FOR AKUFO-ADDO) FOR APPELLANTS (ASARE & ORS.)

AMORIN FOR RESPONDENT (NSIAH).

[1959]DLHC2033
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">NSIAH <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">&nbsp;ASARE &amp; ORS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT (LANDS DIVISION), ACCRA.]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1959] GLR 17<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
17TH JANUARY, 1959.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DADZIE
(FOR AKUFO-ADDO) FOR APPELLANTS (ASARE &amp; ORS.)<o:p></o:p>

AMORIN FOR
RESPONDENT (NSIAH).<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

OLLENNU J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF OLLENNU J.<o:p></o:p>(His
lordship stated the facts and history of the case, and proceeded;-)<o:p></o:p>Apart
from the general legal right which any citizen has to assert his title to any
land which he bona fide believes to be his property, there is a statutory
right, given by the Public Lands Ordinance to anyone who claims to be entitled
to compensation for land acquired for public purposes, to submit his claim to
the Commissioner of Lands within three months of the service and publication of
the notice of acquisition. This right is conferred by sections 6 and 7 of the
Ordinance. It is not an actionable wrong in any person, therefore, that he
should make a claim for compensation when another person who also claims to be
entitled to compensation in respect of the same acquisition, also submits his
claim as required by the Ordinance.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Indeed,
section 8 of the Ordinance (with which I shall deal presently) anticipates that
there may be more than one claimant, and makes provision for dealing with such
a situation. Therefore, the plaintiff’s writ disclosed no cause of action.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>As has
been often held, however, by this and higher Courts, in dealing with claims
from Native Courts a Court must look at the whole proceedings to ascertain the
real matter in dispute between the parties, and should not confine itself
strictly to the writ filed in the Native Court. Upon examination of the writ of
summons and the whole of the proceedings, what emerges as the plaintiff’s real
claim is one for a declaration that, as between him and the defendants, he is
the person entitled to the compensation for the land acquired.<o:p></o:p>Learned
Counsel for the appellants submitted that the proceedings before the Native
Court in this suit, and the judgment therein, are null and void, as being
without jurisdiction. I agree with that submission.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Public Lands Ordinance provides that compensation should be paid to the owner
in possession of the land at the date of its acquisition. Section 8 of the
Ordinance vests jurisdiction to determine the amount of compensation, and the
party or parties who, among rival claimants, is or are entitled to
compensation, in a special type of Court, namely, “any of Her Majesty’s Courts
having jurisdiction to determine as to the ownership of such lands.” What “Her
Majesty’s Courts are, is defined in the courts ordinance, and in the various
Native Courts Ordinances. Native Courts are also defined in each of the said
Ordinances. In my opinion, the term “Court,” when used in any Ordinance without
qualification, is as defined in the Courts Ordinance, and does not include a
Native Court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Section
24 of the Courts Ordinance created a division of Her Majesty’s High Court known
as the Lands Division, namely this Court, and empowered it to “exercise within
Ghana jurisdiction in all causes and</main>