SABBLAH vs. TAWIAH [1966]DLHC1747

Date	1966-02-11
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1966]DLHC1747

SOWAH J.

D. A. BOYE FOR I. N. K. WUAKU FOR THE APPELLANT.

F. T. C. AMORIN FOR E. D. KOM FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1966]DLHC1747
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SABBLAH <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>TAWIAH <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, HO]<o:p></o:p>[1966] GLR 145<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:
11 FEBRUARY
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">

D. A. BOYE FOR I. N. K. WUAKU FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

F. T. C. AMORIN FOR E. D. KOM FOR THE RESPONDENT.<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">

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

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF SOWAH J.<o:p></o:p>This is
an appeal from the judgment of the learned circuit judge dismissing the claim
of the plaintiff in respect of a debt of £G250 owed to him on the grounds that,
“I find that the plaintiff has failed to prove by acceptable evidence that
there was a transaction between the defendant and himself.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>During
the proceedings and at the instance of counsel for the defence the learned
circuit judge rejected a receipt which the plaintiff sought to tender
evidencing the receipt of the money by the defendant on the grounds:<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">“After
listening carefully to the arguments of both counsel I am satisfied that the
document sought to be tendered is more than a mere receipt for money lent.
There is a promise to refund the money at a later date which carries the
document into the realm of a promissory note. I therefore hold that the
document is not a receipt even though headed as such but a promissory note. The
document is therefore marked rejected.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Although
the document was rejected, the learned circuit judge occupied his judgment with
a discussion of the rejected document as if the same had been admitted into
evidence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Mr. Wuaku
for the appellant argued that the circuit judge was absolutely wrong when he
accepted the submissions of learned counsel that because the document tendered
was not a receipt but a promissory note the same could not be accepted in
evidence and was inadmissible. For the respondent, Mr. Kom has repeated this
rather strange and novel proposition of the law of evidence and but for the
fact that he appears to hold the view rather tenaciously I would not have
thought it worth a discussion. It is necessary however before entering into
that discussion to examine a few matters. The plaintiff by his writ of summons
claimed “the sum of £G250 being a friendly financial assistance without interest
given to the defendant at his request on 1 October 1960.” In his statement of
claim the plaintiff pleaded inter alia:<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">“(3)
Towards the end of September 1960, the defendant herein approached the
plaintiff for a friendly help in the sum of £G250 which the plaintiff gave to
the defendant without interest. <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) On 1
October 1960, the defendant gave a receipt to the plaintiff covering the said
amount, the said receipt was written for the defendant by the defendant’s
secretary, the defendant himself signed it and the secretary signing thereon as
a witness to the defendant.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>To those
averments the defendant pleaded inter alia in his statement of defence:<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">“(3) The
defendant denies paragraph (3) of the statement of claim. <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) The
defendant denies that he gave to the plaintiff a receipt dated 1 October 1960,
or any date for the sum of £G250 or part thereof being a friendly financial
help.”<o:p></o:p>