BUDU II vs. CAESAR AND OTHERS [1961]DLSC10228

Date	1961-03-25
Suit No.	G L R 176 - 177
Citation No.	[1961]DLSC10228

KORSAH C.J.

VAN LARE J.S.C

SARKODEE-ADDO J.S.C.

DE GRAFT JOHNSON FOR THE APPELLANT.

E.N.P. SOWAH FOR THE SECOND AND THEIR RESPONDENTS.

N. OLAGA FOR THE FOURTH RESPONDENT.

[1961]DLSC10228
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BUDU II<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CAESAR AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">G L
R 176 - 177&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;DATE:&nbsp;
25TH MARCH, 1961<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DE GRAFT JOHNSON FOR
THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>E.N.P. SOWAH FOR THE SECOND AND THEIR
RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

N. OLAGA FOR THE
FOURTH RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

KORSAH C.J., VAN LARE
J.S.C, SARKODEE-ADDO J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;KORSAH,
C.J.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;During the trial of this case in the Land
Court, counsel for plaintiff intimated that the learned judge presiding at the
trial, had, prior to his elevation to the High Court Bench,<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"written a letter as solicitor for the
fourth defendant, Ocansey, to the Clerk of mid-Volta Local Council, Senchi, in
connection with the tolls in respect of the land which the fourth defendant
claims in this suit."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Counsel, however, further stated that he was
not objecting to the learned judge hearing the case.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Later, at the close of the evidence of
plaintiff's fifth witness, counsel repeated the above statement, and specially
mentioned a letter dated the 8th October, 1941, as the letter to which he had
previously referred, and added that because of that letter his client objected
to the learned judge hearing the case. The letter which was admitted in
evidence and marked exhibit LC reads thus:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"Dear Sir,<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;C. Tetteh Cuonooh&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ..&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Plaintiff<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;versus<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Nana Kofi Budu&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ..&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Defendant<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;R.M. Asare&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ..&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Claimant<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;I have the honour to apply for withdrawal of
the sum of six pounds nine shillings and six pence (£6 9s. 6d) being costs
deposited in the above case."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The learned judge overruled the objection on
the ground, with which we agree, that writing such a letter on behalf of a
person who was not a party in that case could not in any way disqualify him
from hearing this case, though that person is now a party in the proceedings
before him. He rightly, therefore, ordered the case to proceed.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In the course of the evidence of the sixth
witness for the plaintiff, counsel again protested against the learned judge
hearing the case, because the letter (exhibit LC) refers to an interpleader
suit which formed part of the plaintiff's case and that exhibit LC shows that
the learned judge had foreknowledge of the facts which are reasonably likely to
influence or bias his mind. After listening to a long dissertation by counsel
the learned judge rightly ordered that the case should proceed.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In our view there is nothing on record, which
by any stretch of imagination can be deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the
learned judge on grounds of legal bias from presiding at the hearing of this
case. But it would appear that by this time counsel's behaviour in court had
become provocative to such an extent that it caused the learned judge to devote
a considerable portion of his judgment to describing this provocative and
hostile attitude to the bench, and to make the learned judge feel, as he
described it in the judgment, that,<o:p></o:p>