REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT, HO; EX PARTE EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA AND ANOTHER [1991]DLSC2306

REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT, HO; EX PARTE EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA A... [1991]DLSC2306

Date	1991-03-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1991]DLSC2306

ADADE Ag. C.J.JSC

FRANCOIS JSC

AMUA-SEKYI JSC

OSEI-HWERE JSC

AIKINS JJ.S.C.

OWUSU YEBOAH FOR THE APPLICANTS.

N. KUENYEHIA (WITH HIM NUTSUKPUI) FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[1991]DLSC2306
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>HIGH
COURT, HO; EX PARTE EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1991] 1
GLR 323<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 1991<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>OWUSU
YEBOAH FOR THE APPLICANTS.<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 NUTSUKPUI) FOR THE RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

ADADE Ag.
C.J., FRANCOIS, AMUA-SEKYI, OSEI-HWERE AND AIKINS JJ.S.C. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT
OF ADADE AG. C.J.<o:p></o:p>This is
an application for certiorari in which the defendant-applicants (hereinafter
referred to as the defendants) are asking that a ruling of the High Court, Ho
dated 19 October 1990, should be brought up and quashed on the ground that the
said court lacked jurisdiction, or else exceeded its jurisdiction.<o:p></o:p>The
question to be resolved at the outset is whether the plaintiff-respondents
(hereinafter referred to as the plaintiffs) were in order in going to the High
Court with any application at all. Did the High Court have jurisdiction to
entertain the application? In other words, after an appeal has been lodged with
the Court of Appeal against a decision of the High Court, at what point in time
does the High Court cease to have jurisdiction to take applications relative to
the subject-matter of the appeal? Rule 21 of the Court of Appeal Rules, 1962
(L.I. 218) says:<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">“21.
After an appeal has been entered and until it has been finally disposed of, the
Court [of Appeal] shall be seised of the whole of the proceedings as between
the parties thereto, and every application therein shall be made to the Court
and not to the Court below, but any application may be filed in the Court below
for transmission to the Court.”<o:p></o:p>(The
emphasis is mine.) By this rule, therefore, the High Court ceases to have
jurisdiction to entertain an application as soon as the appeal is entered.
Pending entry, however, the High Court is the proper forum for applications.<o:p></o:p>When then
is an appeal deemed to have been entered? For an answer we go to rule 15 of
L.I. 218 which states that:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“15. (1) The Registrar of the Court
below shall transmit the record when ready together with— <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:l1 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a).&nbsp; a certificate of service of the notice
of appeal; <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:l1 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b).&nbsp; a certificate that the conditions
imposed under rules 12(4) and 13 have been fulfilled; <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:l1 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(c).&nbsp; five or three copies as the case may be
of the record for the use of the Judges; <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:l1 level1 lfo1;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(d). the docket or file of the case in the
Court below containing all papers or documents file</main>