LAWER vs. DJABANOR AND ANOTHER [1962]DLHC1488

Date	1962-03-05
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1962]DLHC1488

OLLENNU J.

PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT-APPLICANT IN PERSON.

J. QUASHIE-IDUN FOR E. N. P. SOWAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

[1962]DLHC1488
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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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">LAWER <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:#548DD4">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:#548DD4">DJABANOR AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1962] 1 GLR 136<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"> 5TH MARCH, 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">

PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT-APPLICANT
IN PERSON.<o:p></o:p>

J.
QUASHIE-IDUN FOR E. N. P. SOWAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.<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 6.0pt 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 as set out in the headnote and
continued:] This application was made originally under regulation 93 of the
Local Court Procedure Regulations, and the local magistrate appears to have
entertained it upon the strength of that regulation, which reads:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“A Local Court may in its discretion make any order within its
powers and jurisdiction which it considers necessary for doing justice whether
such order has been asked for by the party entitled to the benefit of the order
or not, but in a civil cause judgment (save as to costs) shall not be given for
a greater sum of money than that claimed in the particulars in the summons.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It will be noticed that the said regulation 93 came under Part XII
of the regulations, the part dealing with judgments and orders. From its very
wording it is clear that the discretion given to the local court thereby can
only be exercised when the said court is giving its decision in a cause or
matter which is properly before it, that is to say in a civil cause commenced
by summons or oath as provided in regulation 3 (1), or in a criminal cause
instituted in manner provided by regulation 3 (2); and in a matter as provided
in regulations 5 (a) and 88, that is to say in an interlocutory application
made to the local court while a suit is pending before a local court and until
it is finally disposed of in the local court; such jurisdiction is given to the
local court by section 120 of Courts Act, 1960.1(1)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Once a local court has delivered final judgment or made final
order in a cause or matter it becomes functus officio: it then has no
jurisdiction even to review its decision or order save as to judgment given by
default against a defendant, see regulation 96. The only applications a local
court is empowered to entertain after final judgment or order are applications
for the issue of execution in terms of the judgment or an order; the
jurisdiction of the local court in that regard is conferred on it by section
118 of the Courts Act, 1960.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The manner in and procedure by which a local court can execute its
judgment is laid down in Part XVIII of the Procedure Regulations, 1959. Now the
only execution which can issue on the judgment of the Manya Krobo Native Court
“A” delivered on March 6, 1956, is execution to enforce payment of the amount
of £G15 damages for trespass and the £G13 16s. 0d. costs, a total of £G28 16s.
0d. That judgment did not decree recovery of possession of any land by the
plaintiff or ejectment of the defendant from any land. Therefore the order of the
local court that the defendant be ejected and the plaintiff placed in
possession of land under writ of possession as provided by regulation 159 is
ultra vires the local court, and is therefore null and void.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Again the jurisdiction of the local court under regulation 167 to
make an order for injunction is strictly limited to interim injunctions; there
is no section of the Courts Act which gives the local court jurisdiction to
grant a perpetual injunction, and there is no regulation either which empowers it
to make an order for perpetual injunction. The local court therefore has no
jurisdiction to make an order for perpetual injunction. Consequently the order
for perpetual injunction made by the local court in this matter is also null
and void as being without jurisdiction: Allotey v. Abrahams.2(2)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>