YEBOAH AND OTHERS vs. BOATENG VII [1963]DLSC11127

Date	1963-06-19
Suit No.	[1963] 1 GLR 182
Citation No.	[1963]DLSC11127

SARKODEE-ADOO J.S.C

CRABBE J.S.C

AKUFO-ADDO J.S.C.

ASAFU-ADJAYE FOR THE APPELLANTS.

A. DOVE FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1963]DLSC11127
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >YEBOAH AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>BOATENG VII<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-left:7.1pt;text-align:center;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">[1963] 1 GLR 182&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;&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;DATE: 25TH FEBRUARY, 1963<o:p></o:p>

</div><h2 style="margin-left:0cm;tab-stops:12.0cm">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></h2>ASAFU-ADJAYE FOR THE APPELLANTS.<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;">

A. DOVE FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<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="MsoBodyText" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:101%;
tab-stops:159.3pt 12.0cm;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SARKODEE-ADOO J.S.C, CRABBE J.S.C, AKUFO-ADDO &nbsp;J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;JUDGEMENT OF CRABBE
J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal by the defendants-appellants from the
judgment of Acolatse J. in an action for malicious prosecution in which he entered judgment for the plaintiff-respondent
for damages amounting to 750 guineas, inclusive of costs.<o:p></o:p>The first duty of a plaintiff
in an action for malicious
prosecution is to prove that the defendant
instituted criminal proceedings against him or was actively instrumental
in putting the law in force against him in proceedings
which terminated in his favour. But proof of this fact alone will not avail him
unless he proves further that the
defendant acted without reasonable and probable cause and was guilty of malice. Lastly,
the plaintiff must prove that he suffered damage as a result of the
prosecution.<o:p></o:p>Before dealing with the evidence
I should first examine a few of the relevant
authorities on the subject and then
state the legal position as I understand it.<o:p></o:p>The prosecution in this case was commenced
by way of preliminary investigation before a district
magistrate, who committed the respondent to stand his trial at the
Criminal Assizes. But before the trial actually
took place the Attorney-General exercising his powers under section 58 of
Criminal Procedure Code,1 entered a
nolle prosequi and this resulted in the discharge of the respondent. Section 58
of Criminal Procedure Code, 1951, states as follows:<o:p></o:p>“In
any criminal case, and at any stage thereof before verdict or judgment, and in
the case of a preliminary enquiry,
whether the accused has or has not been committed for trial, the
Attorney-General may enter a nolle prosequi,
either by stating in Court or by informing the Court in writing that the Crown
intends that the proceedings should
not continue, and thereupon the accused shall be at once discharged in respect
of the charge for which the nolle
prosequi is entered, and if he has been committed to prison shall be released,
or if on bail his recognizances shall
be discharged; but such discharge of an accused person shall not operate as a bar to any subsequent proceedings against
him on account of the same facts”<o:p></o:p>