BOYEFIO vs. NTHC PROPERTIES LTD [1997]DLSC2881

Date	1997-07-09
Suit No.	[1997-98] 1 GLR 768
Citation No.	[1997]DLSC2881

BAMFORD-ADDOJSC

AMPIAH JSC

ACQUAH JSC

ATUGUBAJSC

AKUFFO JSC

E D KOM (WITH HIM CHARLES HAYIBOR AND ANSAH) FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

ZWENNES FOR THE DEFENDANT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1997]DLSC2881</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">BOYEFIO</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">NTHC
PROPERTIES LTD</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">:</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">E D KOM (WITH HIM CHARLES
HAYIBOR AND ANSAH) FOR THE PLAINTIFF.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">ZWENNES FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><b><u><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGMENT OF ACQUAH JSC.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Section 12(1) of the Land
Title Registration Law, 1986 (PNDCL 152) has received such varied and, indeed,
conflicting interpretations from the lower courts as to make one wonder whether
this stems from any flaw in the drafting of that section.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Now, the object of PNDCL 152
as the memorandum to it shows, is to provide a machinery for the registration
of title to land and interests in land. The starting point in the registration
exercise is the declaration by the Minister of Lands, in a legislative
instrument, that a specified area is a registration district. Thereafter the
processes for registration are set in motion by the Land Title Registry. Now,
when an area is declared a registration district by a legislative instrument,
section 12(1) of PNDCL 152 forbids the institution of any court action
concerning any land or interest therein in a registration district until the
procedures for settling disputes under the law are exhausted. The problem has
been the determination of the true import of this section 12(1) of PNDCL 152.
Does it oust the court’s jurisdiction in land suits in a registration district?</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">In the instant case, the
plaintiff issued a writ accompanied by a statement of claim at the High Court,
Accra for damages for trespass, ejectment and perpetual injunction in respect
of a land situate at Baatsonaa within the Nungua Traditional Area. That area
has indeed been declared a registration district by the Land Title
Registration—Declaration of Registration District (Accra District 02)
Instrument, 1992 (LI 1536) of 17 July 1992. The defendant entered appearance
and moved the court to dismiss the action on the grounds that with the
declaration of the area as a registration district by LI 1536, section 12(1) of
PNDCL 152 operates to oust the jurisdiction of the High Court. The plaintiff
relying on article 140(1) and 125(3) of the Constitution, 1992 resisted the
application. The trial High Court judge (Gbadegbe J) in accordance with article
130(2) of the Constitution, 1992 posed the following question to this court:</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -36pt; line-height: 20.25p</main>