KWAMI vs. QUAYNOR [1959]DLSC2021

Date	1959-06-25
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1959]DLSC2021

VAN LARE J. A. AS C.J.

GRANVILLE SHARP J. A.

ACOLATSE J.

[1959]DLSC2021
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">KWAMI<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">QUAYNOR<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[COURT OF APPEAL]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;">VAN LARE J. A. AS C.J., GRANVILLE SHARP J. A. AND ACOLATSE J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">JUDGMENT
OF VAN LARE AG. C. J.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">In this case the plaintiff -
appellant, relying upon the oral grant to him of a certain piece of land by the
Osu Stool in 1933 (confirmed by a Deed of Conveyance in 1957), sued the
defendant - respondent for a declaration of title, damages for trespass and an
injunction in respect of the said land. The defendant - respondent also laid
claim to the land. He relied on a grant to his father, whom he had succeeded
according to Osu native customary law. This grant was of a larger area, of
which the disputed land forms part, and it had been made by the elders of Osu
Alata Quarter in 1897.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">There was evidence, which the
trial-judge accepted, that after the grant to him the respondent’s late father
remained in undisturbed possession till his death in 1933, and also that the
respondent’s brothers have built on another portion of the larger area granted
to their late father. These were questions of fact which do not appear to have
been in dispute, but the respondent challenged the right of the Osu Mantse to
grant the disputed land at all to the appellant, and pleaded that the purported
grant and conveyance passed no title to the appellant.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">On the authorities, it is
clear that the Osu Mantse is the proper authority to grant Osu Stool lands;
that is to say, land which is not a Quarter Stool land nor a Quarter “outskirt”
land. This has been understood and followed by the courts since the judgment of
Jackson J., delivered in the Land Court, Accra, in an Acquisition Enquiry under
the Public Lands Ordinance on the 24th July, 1951, now popularly known and
referred to as the “R.E. Acquisition Case.” An appeal against that decision was
dismissed by the West African Court of Appeal (see 14 W.A.C.A. 492). It is also
a well established principle of law that the head and elders of a Quarter Stool
in Osu constitute the proper authority to grant a Quarter land. On the other
hand, where unalienated “outskirt” land is in the charge of the head and elders
of a Quarter, the final decision whether or not to make a grant of such land
rests in the Osu Mantse. But, although the Osu Mantse may reject the advice of
such head and elders of a Quarter, he cannot himself make a valid grant without
prior con</main>