EJURA vs. LIMAN AND OTHERS [1966]DLHC1687

Date	1966-10-26
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1966]DLHC1687

ANNAN J.

E. O. APPIAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

HAROLD DARKOH FOR THE DEFENDANTS.

[1966]DLHC1687
																																						<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" >EJURA <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>LIMAN AND OTHERS <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, TAMALE]<o:p></o:p>[1966] GLR 683<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
26 OCTOBER 1966.<o:p></o:p>

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

E. O. APPIAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

HAROLD DARKOH FOR THE DEFENDANTS.<o:p></o:p>

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

ANNAN J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ANNAN J.<o:p></o:p>The claim
of the plaintiff,<o:p></o:p>“is for
¢100,000.00 damages against the defendants jointly and severally for libel
contained in a letter dated 21 June 1965 written and signed by the defendants
and each of them and addressed and sent to the Regional Commissioner (Northern
Region) Tamale,” and other named persons.<o:p></o:p>In his
statement of claim the plaintiff set out the letter he relied on as a schedule.
The letter was set out in full and it runs to six paragraphs. The letter is
stated to be about “Malam Ejura’s behaviour towards Moslems in Northern Ghana”
and its opening sentence reads as follows:<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">“We would
like to point out to you that the peace which had existed among Moslems in
Tamale in particular and in both the Northern and Upper Regions of Ghana has
been badly damaged by the imposition of Malam Ejura as Chairman of the Northern
and Upper Regions Muslim Council against our consent.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
writers of the letter then went on to give reasons for this opening statement
in eight sections of paragraph 1 of the letter and in the main relied on
allegations that the plaintiff had on certain occasions sent his boys to
disrupt meetings of Moslems and to commit acts of assault and unlawful harm
against other Moslems.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In their
defence the defendants admitted writing the letter set out in the schedule to
the statement of claim but denied that “the words contained in the said letter
were legally published.” No particulars were given by the defendants of the
facts relied on by them to support the defence that there was no legal
publication. Again the defendants pleaded that even if the words complained of
were published by them the words are true in substance and in fact, a plea of
justification. The defendants gave certain particulars of this defence and
these appear in paragraph (4) (a) to (e) of the defence.<o:p></o:p>These
are:<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">“(4) (a) the
plaintiff denies that ‘Wiridi’ is an essential part of Moslem worship.<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">(b) In
pursuance of his opposition to the performance of ‘Wiridi’ the plaintiff has on
a number of occasions sent his followers to disrupt meetings summoned by
persons who practise ‘Wiridi.’ <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">(c) To
assert his authority as a so-called Chairman of the Northern Region Moslem
Council the plaintiff has on a number of occasions instructed his boys to
disrupt meetings of Moslems who have not obtained permission from him to
conduct such a meeting.<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">(d) It is
obligatory on all Moslems to attend Friday services at the mosque. It is the
practice that failure to attend Friday services at a mosque is tantamount to a renunciation
of faith. <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">