COMMISSIONER OF POLICE vs. IGHAGHARA [1960]DLCA133

Date	1960-04-01
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1960]DLCA133

KORSAH C.J.

VAN LARE J.A.

GRANVILLE SHARP J.A.

APPELLANT IN PERSON.

AMISSAH FOR RESPONDENT.

[1960]DLCA133
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >COMMISSIONER OF POLICE <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>IGHAGHARA<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT
OF APPEAL]<o:p></o:p>[1960] GLR 75<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
1ST APRIL, 1960.<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">

APPELLANT IN PERSON.<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">

KORSAH, C.J., VAN LARE, J.A. AND
GRANVILLE SHARP, J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF GRANVILLE SHARP J.A.<o:p></o:p>Granville
Sharp, J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. (His lordship stated the facts
and continued.)<o:p></o:p>For the
purpose of this appeal we regard this minute of the judge in chambers as a
decision dismissing the appeal summarily. We therefore entertained the
appellant’s appeal as properly before us, in order to have the opportunity to
point out that a judge has no power in his executive capacity (that is to say,
without sitting in court) to consider whether or not there is any cause which
may permit the court to admit an appeal, though the period of limitation
prescribed by law has elapsed. We think that a decision on such a question is a
judicial decision and not an executive one; the judge therefore erred in what
he did. It must be borne in mind that an intending appellant in custody does
not enjoy full or easy access to the forms necessary for his petition, and it
not infrequently happens that there is some delay between the time when he
applied for them and the provision of them by the competent authority.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>We desire
to point out that even in exercising the jurisdiction under section 331 of the
Criminal Procedure Code, where the High Court is empowered to dismiss an appeal
summarily, a judge can do so only in certain circumstances. The proviso to
section 331 (1) implies that where an appellant is in custody (and it is
apparent on the record that this appellant was in custody) the court cannot
dismiss the appeal summarily unless the appellant has had a reasonable
opportunity of being heard in support of his appeal. The judge did not observe
the necessary provision, and we hold that he had no power to dismiss the appeal
in the way he did.<o:p></o:p>(The
court notwithstanding the legal point in favour of the appellant proceeded to
apply the proviso to section 10 (1) of the Court of Appeal Ordinance, 1957 and
dismissed the substantive appeal.)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></main>