MENSAH vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL [1997]DLSC9961

Date	1997-05-28
Suit No.	[1997-98] 1 GLR 227-281
Citation No.	[1997]DLSC9961

AIKINS JSC

CHARLES HA YFRON-BENJAMIN JSC

AMPIAH JSC

ACQUAH JSC

AKUFFO JSC.

HON NANA AKUFO-ADDO MP (WITH HIM AKOTO AMPAW) FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

HON DR OBED ASAMOAH ATTORNEY-GENERAL (WITH HIM HON MARTIN

AMIDU

DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND AVAH CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[1997]DLSC9961
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MENSAH<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

[1997-98]
1 GLR 227-281&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 28TH
MAY, 1997<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HON NANA AKUFO-ADDO,&nbsp;MP
(WITH HIM&nbsp;AKOTO AMPAW)&nbsp;FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

HON
DR OBED ASAMOAH,&nbsp;ATTORNEY-GENERAL (WITH HIM&nbsp;HON MARTIN
AMIDU,&nbsp;DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND AVAH, CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE
DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">AIKINS, CHARLES HA YFRON-BENJAMIN, AMPIAH, ACQUAH AND AKUFFO
JJSC.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.15pt; margin-left: 0.95pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Aikins JSC.&nbsp;Lord Patrick Devlin in his renowned book entitled&nbsp;The
Judge&nbsp;(1979) at p 4 stated:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; margin-left: 28.55pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">"If a judge leaves the law and
makes his own decision, even if in substance they are just, he loses the
protection of the law and sacrifices the appearance of impartiality which is
given by adherence to the law. He expresses himself personally to the
dissatisfied litigant and exposes himself to criticism. But if the stroke is
inflicted by law, it leaves no sense of individual injustice; the losing party
is not a victim who has been singled out; it is the same for everybody he says.
And how many a defeated litigant has salved his wounds with the thought that
the law is an ass."<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.15pt; margin-left: 2.4pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">It is with these words of wisdom
operating on my mind that I have set off on the journey of writing this opinion.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.65pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Introduction<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.2pt; margin-left: 3.1pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16.55pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">On 7 February 1997 the plaintiff issued
out a writ against the defendant claiming a declaration that:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.2pt; margin-left: 58.3pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27.8pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">"(i) on a true and proper
interpretation of the Constitution, particularly articles 57(3), 58(1) and (3),
66(1), 76(1) and (2) 78(1) 79(1), 80, 81, 97(1)(a), 100(1), 113(1) and (3)
thereof, no person can after 6 January 1997 act as minister or deputy minister
of state without the prior approval by the Second Parliament of the Fourth
Republic of his appointment.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 58.55pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27.35pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(ii) Accordingly, any person who has not been so approved
and appointed cannot lawfully act or hold himself out as a minister or deputy
minister of state."<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.2pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">A copy of the writ together with a copy of the accompanying
affidavit was served on the defendant, and a further copy was&nbsp;made available to the Speaker of
Parliament. Later the plaintiff officially laid a copy before , Parliament.
Meanwhile, it had been announced that Mr Kwame Peprah, Minister of Finance,
would appear before Parliament to present the budget on that very day the copy
of the writ was laid before Parliament, that is 7 February 1997. With this
information, the Leader of Parliament, Hon] H Owusu Acheampong announced to
Parliament that in view of the pendency of the action before the court the
purported appearance before the house of Mr Kwame Peprah, to present the
budget, or any other person describing himself as a minister but whose
appointment had not received the prior approval of the Second Parliament of the
Fourth Republic would be sub judice and would be deferred.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25pt; margin-left: 0.95pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 17.75pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">