REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT, ACCRA; EX PARTE LARYEA [1989]DLSC673

Date	1989-11-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1989]DLSC673

ADADE JSC

FRANCOIS JSC

AMUA-SEKYI JSC

OSEI-HWERE JSC

OFORI BOATENG J.A.

NII APONSAH FOR THE APPLICANT.

J.W. BLANKSON-MILLS (WITH HIM BEN ANNAN) FOR THE REPUBLIC.

[1989]DLSC673
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p>HIGH COURT, ACCRA; EX PARTE LARYEA<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA] <o:p></o:p>[1989-90] 2 GLR 99<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:
14
NOVEMBER 1989<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">

NII APONSAH FOR THE APPLICANT.<o:p></o:p>

J.W. BLANKSON-MILLS (WITH HIM BEN ANNAN) FOR THE
REPUBLIC.<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">

ADADE, FRANCOIS, AMUA-SEKYI, OSEI-HWERE<o:p></o:p>

JJ.S.C. AND OFORI BOATENG J.A. <o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF AMUA–SEKYI J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>Amua–Sekyi
J...S.C. delivered the ruling of the court. The applicant, Paul Laryea, offered
himself as a candidate in the Kinka Electoral Area in Accra in elections due to
be held under the Local Government Law, 1988 (P.N.D.C.L. 207). On the day the
election was to take place, a report appeared in the Ghanaian Times newspaper
that he had been disqualified from standing for the election and that fresh
nominations had been called for. He took out a writ in the High Court, Accra,
against: <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" 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">(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
the National Commission for Democracy; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" 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">(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
the Accra City Council; and (iii) the District Secretary,
Accra. On being served with the writ, the defendants raised three preliminary
objections, namely:<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">“ (a) the
action ought to have been commenced by the filing of an election petition under
regulation 46 of the District Assembly Elections Regulations, 1988 (L.I. 1396);
(b) the National Commission for Democracy was not a legal entity and therefore
the defendant should have been the Attorney-General who was entitled to one
month’s notice of intention to commence the action under the State Proceedings
(Amendment) Decree, 1969 (N.L.C.D. 352); and (c) the Accra Metropolitan
Authority was also entitled to a month’s notice of intention to commence the action
under section 97 of P.N.D.C.L. 207.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>After
hearing arguments, Wuaku J.S.C. sitting as an additional judge of the High
Court, upheld the several objections and dismissed the action.<o:p></o:p>The
applicant has now come to this court to ask for the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>“(a) an
order of certiorari to quash the ruling of Wuaku J.S.C.; (b) an order of
prohibition to stop the election; (c) an order staying proceedings or execution
under the ruling of Wuaku J.S.C.; and<o:p></o:p>(d) an
order re-listing the High Court suit for hearing before another judge.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
ground given for seeking these reliefs is that of error on the face of the
record.<o:p></o:p>The law
as we understand it is that certiorari will lie to quash the decision of a
court on the ground of error on the fac</main>