ASIBEY III AND ANOTHER vs. AYISI [1974]DLCA2257

Date	1974-05-06
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1974]DLCA2257

AZU CRABBE C.J.

LASSEY JA

ARCHER J.A.

W. N. ADUMUA-BOSSMAN FOR THE APPLICANTS.

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1974]DLCA2257
																																						<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" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">ASIBEY III AND ANOTHER <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:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">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:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">AYISI <o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>&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;[1974] 1 GLR 315<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:
6 MAY 1974.<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">

W. N.
ADUMUA-BOSSMAN FOR THE APPLICANTS.<o:p></o:p>

NO
APPEARANCE BY OR 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">

AZU CRABBE C.J., LASSEY AND ARCHER
JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF AZU CRABBE C.J.<o:p></o:p>Azu
Crabbe C.J. delivered the ruling of the court. On 28 July 1973, counsel for the
applicant filed at the Registry of the Court of Appeal a notice of motion
pursuant to the provisions of article 105 clause (1) (c) of the Constitution,
1969. These provisions read 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">&nbsp;“An appeal shall lie from a judgment, decree
or order of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, . . . (c) with the leave
of the Court of Appeal, in any other cause or matter, civil or criminal, where
the Court of Appeal is satisfied that the case involves a substantial question
of law or is of public importance.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>See also
subsection (1) (d) of section 3 of the Courts Act, 1971 (Act 372).<o:p></o:p>The
application in this case was for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court against
the decision of the Court of Appeal in Asibey III v. Ayisi [1973] 1 G.L.R. 102.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 13
September 1972, the Supreme Court was abolished by virtue of section 1 of the
Courts (Amendment) Decree, 1972 (N.R.C.D. 101), and it was provided by section
2 that “for every reference to the ‘Supreme Court’ in any enactment there shall
be substituted a reference to the ‘Court of Appeal’.” For the purpose of
hearing and determining appeals, the appellate jurisdiction of the Court of
Appeal was conferred by section 3 (2) (d) “to hear and determine any appeal
which had been duly filed with the Supreme Court before the commencement of
this Decree.”<o:p></o:p>It is
plain that at the commencement of this Decree there was no appeal in this case
pending before the Supreme Court, and therefore, the full bench of the Court of
Appeal is not clothed with jurisdiction to entertain any such appeal coming
before it by leave. The Decree did not provide for ceases falling under article
105 clause (1) (c) of the Constitution or section 3 (1) (d) of the Courts Act,
1971 (Act 372), and unprovided for they must remain. The court cannot take upon
itself to supply omissions in an enactment, for this would be “a naked
usurpation of the legislative function under the thin disguise of
interpretation”: Magar and St. Mellons R.D.C. v. Newport Corporation [1952]
A.C. 189, per Lord Simonds at p. 191, H.L.: see also Fisher v. Bell [1961] 1
Q.B. 394.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Consequently,
we hold that the application in this case is misconceived and it is accordingly
refused.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></main>