AFRICAN WOODS LTD. vs. ADMINISTRATOR OF STOOL LANDS CONCESSION ENQUIRY NO. 471 (ASHANTI) ASUKESE FOREST RESERVE TIMBER CONCESSION [1962]DLSC1327

AFRICAN WOODS LTD. vs. ADMINISTRATOR OF STOOL LANDS CONCESSION ENQUIRY NO. 471... [1962]DLSC1327

Date	1962-07-10
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1962]DLSC1327

VAN LARE JSC

SARKODEE-ADOO JSC

ADUMUA-BOSSMAN J.S.C

H. V. A. FRANKLIN FOR THE CLAIMANTS-APPELLANTS.

I. A. AIDOO (WITH HIM OFORI) FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[1962]DLSC1327
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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:#00B0F0">AFRICAN WOODS LTD. <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">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">ADMINISTRATOR OF STOOL LANDS<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">CONCESSION ENQUIRY NO. 471 (ASHANTI) ASUKESE FOREST<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">RESERVE TIMBER CONCESSION<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;[SUPREME COURT]<o:p></o:p>[1962] 2 GLR 24<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"> 10TH JULY, 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">

H.
V. A. FRANKLIN FOR THE CLAIMANTS-APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

I.
A. AIDOO (WITH HIM OFORI) FOR THE RESPONDENTS.<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 2.0pt 0in">

VAN LARE, SARKODEE-ADOO AND
ADUMUA-BOSSMAN, JJ.S.C<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF VAN
LARE J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>Van Lare J.S.C. delivered the judgment of the court. This appeal
is against a ruling dated the 9th December, 1960, delivered by Simpion, J.
sitting in the High Court, Kumasi, whereby he declined to sign and issue formal
certificate of validity in respect of the concession, the subject matter of the
above-mentioned concession proceedings.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The material facts are briefly these. The claimants-appellants
obtained two timber concessions under two instruments both bearing the date the
10th August, 1956, executed by the Kronti and Akwaboa stools of Ashanti
respectively acting by their lawful customary representatives. On the 6th September,
1956, Messrs. Asafu-Adjaye &amp; Co., solicitors, of Kumasi, filed the usual
notice in respect of the said concessions in court. Thereafter, according to
the record of appeal, nothing further appears to have been done by or on behalf
of the claimants, until the 4th February, 1958, when the solicitors by a letter
of that date applied to the Minister of Housing for extension of time within
which to take the steps necessary for obtaining certificate of validity. By
letter dated the 11th March, 1958, from the Minister in reply, they were
notified that the time was extended “by four months to the 9th December, 1958.”
On the next day, the 12th March, 1958, the Minister further communicated to the
solicitors a certificate of his satisfaction as to the financial ability of the
claimants to develop the concessions and on the same date, the 12th March,
1958, this certificate was duly filed in court. From this stage Asafu-Adjaye
&amp; Co. who initiated the proceedings appear to have stopped acting for the
claimants and there was no further correspondence from them to the registrar of
the court, but a new solicitor, Mr. Adade, appears on the scene who, by letter
dated the 17th July, 1958, applied to the Minister for a further extension of
time. He was asked by letter dated the 29th July, 1958, to indicate what period
of extension he required and he replied by letter dated the 2nd August, 1958,
praying for extension till the 31st December, 1959, but no further
communication was addressed to him from the Ministry and it appears his
application was tacitly refused. Thereafter nothing further happened till the
23rd August, 1958, when the new solicitor formally filed in court a plan of the
concessions which had been “approved and issued by the Director of Surveys.”
After this filing of plan, the claimants again took no further step towards
their objective of obtaining certificate of validity as appears from the record
of appeal, till the 6th December, 1958. We find that the court constituted by
Christian, Esq., Commissioner of Assize and Civil Pleas, delivered a ruling,
the material portion of which is the following:<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">“The respective oppositions succeed only to the extent of the
areas claimed by the opposers. These areas are accordingly excised from
Concession Enquiry No. 471 (Ashanti). A survey order is accordingly made under
the provisions of section 18 with respect to the unopposed area.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>From this ruling it appears that shortly before the 6th December,
1958, there being oppositions referred filed against the grant of certificate
of validity on the grounds that the area of the concessions encroached upon the
respective areas of two earlier validated concessions, the registrar proprio
motu referred the matter to the court for the oppositions to be investigated
and determined. What is important to note is that there does not appear to have
been any formal application for a final order filed to initiate the proceedings
of the 6th December, 1958; and it is important to note that fact b</main>