GHANA PRIVATE ROAD TRANSPORT UNION OF THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS vs. DANFUL AND OTHERS [1996]DLHC563

GHANA PRIVATE ROAD TRANSPORT UNION OF THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS vs. DANFUL AND O... [1996]DLHC563

Date	1996-07-30
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1996]DLHC563

GBADEGBE J

NUTIFAFA KUENYEHIA (WITH HIM BENSON NUTSUKPUI AND KLUDZE) FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPLICANTS.

WILLIAM ADDO FOR PETER ALA ADJETEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENTS.

[1996]DLHC563
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													<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">GHANA PRIVATE ROAD TRANSPORT UNION OF THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS<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">DANFUL AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1995-96] 1 GLR 20<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">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>NUTIFAFA KUENYEHIA (WITH HIM BENSON NUTSUKPUI AND KLUDZE) FOR THE
DEFENDANT-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">

WILLIAM ADDO FOR PETER ALA
ADJETEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

GBADEGBE J<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF GBADEGBE J.<o:p></o:p>On 26 March 1993, the plaintiffs who at the time of the issue of
the writ herein were the elected executives of the Kaneshie-Cape Coast-Takoradi
branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union
Congress (TUC) commenced the instant action claiming:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;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">(1). “An order for injunction
restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, or workmen or any other
body acting for and on behalf of the defendants from interfering with the
administration, management and work of the Kaneshie-Cape Coast-Takoradi branch
of the GPRTU of TUC (Ghana) without due recourse to law and the constitution of
the union: <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:-.25in;
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">(2).
A declaration that the purported imposition of an interim
management committee (IMC) by the defendants to conduct the affairs of the
plaintiffs is unlawful.”<o:p></o:p>Following the service of the said writ and statement of claim on
the defendants, they entered an appearance and filed in due course a defence to
the action in which they counterclaimed as follows: “Wherefore the defendants
counterclaim for a declaration that the plaintiffs’ four-year term of office
have come to an end having been elected to office on 19 February 1989.”<o:p></o:p>The said defence was filed on 23 October 1995. Since then
pleadings have closed in the matter and the action has proceeded to a hearing,
with the reception of evidence. In the course of the hearing, the defendants
caused an application to be filed seeking an order of interim injunction
restraining the plaintiffs “from acting as officers or holding themselves as
officers and administering the affairs of the Kaneshie-Cape Coast-Takoradi
branch of the GPRTU of TUC during the pendency of the instant suit.”<o:p></o:p>Before proceeding to consider the instant application, I wish to
observe that having regard to the nature of the relief sought, the application
seeks an order of interlocutory injunction since the order is to last until the
final determination. An interim injunction however is an order which lasts
until a specified date or the occurrence of a specified event. This being the
case, in the exercise of the power conferred on this court under Order 28, r 12
of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 1954 (LN 140A) I hereby amend the
error in the proceeding before me to read: “interlocutory injunction” instead
of “interim injunction.” I think that before me the arguments were proceeded
with on the basis that the order is to last until the final determination,
hence this amendment fairly reflects the understanding which the parties have
of the application.<o:p></o:p>Certain facts are not in dispute in this application. It is not
disputed that the plaintiffs’ term of office expired in September 1993. It is
further not denied that the Kaneshie-Cape Coast-Takoradi branch of the GPRTU is
a member of the defendants’ association, the GPRTU of the TUC of Ghana. It is
also not in dispute that the said defendant-organisation is run according to a
constitution, the current one being exhibit A, a document which is entitled
“Ghana Private Road Transport Union of the TUC Constitution, Rules and Bye
Laws.”<o:p></o:p>Arguing the application, learned counsel for the applicants said
that as at now the plaintiffs’ term has expired but they are still in office
and have been dismissing a section of the members of the union who have
levelled allegations against them. It is further said that the plaintiffs
though officers of a branch of the defendant-association, have been conducting
themselves in</main>