DZOBO vs. AGBEBLEWU AND OTHERS [1990]DLCA2231

Date	1990-03-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1990]DLCA2231

AMPIAH JA

LAMPTEY JA

ADJABENG JJ.A.

OWUSU YEBOA (LED BY NUTSUGAH) FOR THE SECOND DEFENDANT-APPLICANT.

N. KUENYEHIA (WITH HIM FIADZIGBE) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENTS.

[1990]DLCA2231
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DZOBO<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AGBEBLEWU
AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF
APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1991] 1
GLR 294<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: 14 MARCH 1990<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>OWUSU
YEBOA (LED BY NUTSUGAH) FOR THE SECOND DEFENDANT-APPLICANT.<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">

N.
KUENYEHIA (WITH HIM FIADZIGBE) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

AMPIAH, LAMPTEY
AND ADJABENG JJ.A. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT
OF LAMPTEY J.A.<o:p></o:p>On 18
December 1989, the High Court, Ho (presided over by Amuah J.A. sitting as an
additional judge of the High Court) gave judgment in favour of the six
plaintiffs against the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana as the first
defendant and the Right Reverend Professor Dzobo as the second defendant. By
that judgment the learned trial judge, inter alia, held:<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:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1). “That the 1979 Constitution is the only
valid constitutional document within the church. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2). That the 1979 Constitution was never
amended and that any purported amendment is without effect <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(3). That the so-called 1980 Constitution is
a forged document and must not be considered at all. <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:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(4). That the nomination and election of the
second defendant for a third term is a nullity and without effect . . .”<o:p></o:p>(The
emphasis is mine.)<o:p></o:p>On 19
December 1989, i.e. a day after the said judgment was read, the Evangelical
Presbyterian Church and the Right Reverend Professor Dzobo by their solicitors
promptly appealed against that decision. The Right Reverend Professor Dzobo,
the second defendant (hereinafter referred to as the applicant), next applied
to the trial court for a stay of the force and effect of the said judgment. On
12 February 1990, Acquah J. heard the application and refused to stay the said
judgment of 18 December 1989. The application for stay was therefore repeated
in this court. The six plaintiffs (hereinafter referred to as the respondents)
resisted the application for stay of the judgment. In order to appreciate the
essence of the instant application it is necessary to reproduce the reliefs
sought by the respondents in the High Court. These were stated at length in the
judgment dated 18 December 1989 as follows:<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiffs claim against the defendants jointly and severally:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:42.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that the purported
amendment of the 1979 Constitution of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of
Ghana is illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.<o:</main>