REPUBLIC vs. AKWAPIM-MAMPONG DISTRICT COURT GRADE II AND OTHERS; EX PARTE DJANIE AND OTHERS [1989]DLHC2057

REPUBLIC vs. AKWAPIM-MAMPONG DISTRICT COURT GRADE II AND OTHERS; EX PARTE DJANIE... [1989]DLHC2057

Date	1989-11-16
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1989]DLHC2057

AMMAH J.

NII APONSAH FOR THE APPLICANTS.

F.A. ATTOH FOR THE SECOND RESPONDENT.

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE FIRST RESPONDENT.

[1989]DLHC2057
																																						<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">REPUBLIC<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">AKWAPIM-MAMPONG DISTRICT COURT GRADE II AND OTHERS; EX PARTE
DJANIE AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1992] 1 GLR 360<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 16
NOVEMBER 1989<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>NII APONSAH FOR THE APPLICANTS.<o:p></o:p>F.A. ATTOH FOR THE SECOND RESPONDENT.<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">

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE FIRST RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF AMMAH J.<o:p></o:p>This is an application for an order of certiorari to quash the
ruling of the District Magistrate Grade II Akwapim-Mampong dated 30 November
1988 and a further order of prohibition to be directed against the said
magistrate to forbid him from hearing a criminal case No. 311/88 entitled
Republic v.(1) Ashie Djanie; (2) David Kotey Djanie; and (3) Amasah Djanie.<o:p></o:p>The application is supported by an affidavit running into 23
paragraphs, some of which are not relevant; and the statutory statement.<o:p></o:p>The grounds upon which the reliefs are being sought are stated in
the statutory statement as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Lack of jurisdiction to continue trial of the applicants beyond
the close of the case for the prosecution in the face of the bona fide claim to
title to land raised throughout the hearing of the prosecution witnesses. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Contravention by the district magistrate of section 180 of the
Criminal Procedure Code, 1960 (Act 30) by peremptorily ordering the applicants
to open their defence with contumelious disregard for section 180 of Act 30. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(iii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Breach of natural justice right of fair hearing by refusing the
applicants’ counsel’s application to make a submission of no case at the end of
the prosecution’s case. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(iv)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Startling disclosure of manifest bias by the magistrate
confidently asking in open court when the prosecution had not yet closed their
case that defence counsel should discontinue the cross-examination and ‘leave
me alone to deal with the accused because from the questions they put through
their counsel they admit the offences’ charged to which utterance applicants’
counsel loudly protested. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">(v)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Disregard of section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1960 (Act
30) by refusing to hear and consider counsel’s submission of no prima facie
case.”<o:p></o:p>