[1980]DLSC1502 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">BILSON</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">vs.</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">APALOO</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[1980] GLR 15</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> <i>DATE:</i></span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">6 APRIL 1981<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">COUNSEL: </span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">OBENG-MANU FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">NANA AKUFO-ADDO (WITH HIM DR. PREMPEH, J. GLOVER AND FUI TSIKATA) FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">C. TETTEH, SOLICITOR-GENERAL, FOR THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">CORAM:</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">SOWAH, ANIN, CHARLES CRABBE, ADADE AND TAYLOR JJ.S.C.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT OF ANIN J.S.C.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">In this suit, the plaintiff claims a declaration to quash the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting as the Supreme Court in the case of Tuffour v. Attorney-General [1980] G.L.R. 637, S.C. delivered on 23 October 1980, on the ground, inter alia, that the five learned judges, i.e. Sowah and Charles Crabbe JJ.S.C., Lassey and Francois JJ.A. and Agyepong J. who constituted the court “did not constitutionally hold valid nominations to sit in the said suit;” since, it is alleged, the Hon. Mr. Justice Fred Kwasi Apaloo (the defendant herein), who empanelled the court, acted in contravention of articles 114 (5), 121 (2) and section 3 (1) of the transitional provisions of the Constitution, 1979, of Ghana. The plaintiff further contends in his statement of case, inter alia, that “it was judicially improper for the five judges to accept invalid nominations from the defendant herein to sit on the said case.”</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The defendant, in his statement of case denies emphatically the allegations of impropriety and violations of any constitutional provisions and explains further that in empanelling the composition of the court in the said case, he merely acted in fulfilment of the mandatory requirements of article 121 (1) (c) and (4) by virtue of the powers conferred on him by those constitutional provisions and in accordance with precedent and authority. He further contends that, “the constitution of the Superior Courts of Judicature is an express constitutional responsibility of the Chief Justice, which he cannot delegate or waive whilst at post.” He cites in support, the case of Akufo-Addo v. Quashie-Idun [1968] G.L.R. 667, C.A. (full bench).</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua&