AMOAKO ATTA II AND OTHERS vs. OSEI KOFI II AND OTHERS (NO.2) [1962]DLHC1344

Date	1962-05-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1962]DLHC1344

OLLENNU J.

K. SEKYI (WITH HIM BREDU-PABI DR. DE GRAFT JOHNSON AND W. A. N. BOSSMAN) FOR THE PLAINTIFFS AND

A. ASAFU-ADJAYE (WITH HIM G. KORANTENG-ADDOW) FOR THE DEFENDANTS AND CO-DEFENDANTS.

[1962]DLHC1344
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">AMOAKO ATTA II AND OTHERS<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">&nbsp;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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">&nbsp;OSEI KOFI II AND OTHERS
(NO.2)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">&nbsp;[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1962] 1 GLR 384<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">

DATE:<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0"> 21ST MAY, 1962.<o:p></o:p>

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

K.
SEKYI (WITH HIM BREDU-PABI DR. DE GRAFT JOHNSON AND W. A. N. BOSSMAN) FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS AND<o:p></o:p>

A. ASAFU-ADJAYE
(WITH HIM G. KORANTENG-ADDOW) FOR THE DEFENDANTS AND CO-DEFENDANTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 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>This suit commenced with a writ of summons issued on the 4th
August, 1955, in the erstwhile Native Court “A” of Akyem Abuakwa. It was
transferred to the Land Court by an order of the Land Court dated the 2nd
March, 1956. The co-defendant, the Omanhene of Kwahu, was joined upon his
application on the 22nd June, 1956. He had to be joined because by customary
law a boundary dispute between a divisional stool in one state and a divisional
stool in an adjoining state is a boundary dispute between the one state and the
other; for no land can belong to the one paramount stool of the other, unless
it belongs to or is in the occupation of a divisional stool under the paramount
stool. Therefore whether he joined or not the judgment in the case would be
binding upon him. The co-plaintiffs who claim title to portions of the land,
subject-matter of the suit, as purchasers from the plaintiffs, were joined on
the 30th January, 1957, also upon their application.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On the 12th October, 1957, in exercise of the powers in it vested
by section 4 of the Stool Lands Boundaries Settlement Ordinance,1(1) the court
ordered a stay of the proceedings in view of the two orders made under
subsection (2) of section 3 of the said Ordinance for the determination of the
boundaries of land vested in the Akyem Abuakwa stool and the boundaries of land
vested in the Kwahu stool. The said orders were contained in Legal Notice No.
105 of April, 1956 and Legal Notice No. 214 of the 28th August, 1957. The said
orders were revoked on the 8th March, 1960, by an Executive Instrument, No. 60
made under section 3, subsection (3) of the said Ordinance and so the enquiries
never took place.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>A number of interlocutory proceedings were taken in the meantime.
The substantive case came before the court on the 27th May, 1960, on a summons
for directions. It appears that the order for stay of proceedings was not
brought to the notice of the court on that occasion. The court then made a
consent order in terms of the summons for directions, namely issues for trial
and a plan.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On the 12th February, 1962, when the case came up for trial,
objection was raised by counsel for the defence to the court’s jurisdiction to
try the case. The grounds for the objection are that the order for a stay of
proceedings operated as a bar. In a ruling given on the 20th February, 1962, I
hold that the stay did not operate as a perpetual injunction on the court not to
hear the case, that it merely suspended the suit, that the orders to hold
enquiries of the boundaries of the lands of the two states having been revoked,
the order for stay lapsed, and the suit could be put back on the cause list
upon a formal application. Formal application was made subsequently, and the
case was set down for trial. A number of preliminary points were taken by
counsel for the defendants on the day trial. commenced. For the determination
of some of these points, and a proper adjudication of the suit on its merits,
it is necessary at this stage to have a brief history of the dispute.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In 1921 the Benkumhene of Akyem Abuakwa, who is the Ohene of
Begoro, predecessor of the second plaintiff, took out a writ of summons in the
then Supreme Court against Odikro Kwasi Ameyao predecessor of the first
defendant, suit No. 34/1921. The writ of summons in that case reads:<o:p></o:p>