REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT, KUMASI; EX PARTE ATUMFUWA AND ANOTHER [1998]DLSC465

Date	1998-07-15
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1998]DLSC465

AIKINS JSC

CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN JSC

AMPIAH JSC

ADJABENG JSC

ACQUAH JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

AKUFFO JSC

J AHENKORA (WITH HIM DANSO-ACHEAMPONG) FOR THE APPLICANTS.

W A M ADUMUA-BOSSMAN (WITH HIM PRINCE NEEQUAYE) FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1998]DLSC465</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;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><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="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">COUNSEL</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">J AHENKORA (WITH HIM DANSO-ACHEAMPONG) FOR THE
APPLICANTS.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">W
A M ADUMUA-BOSSMAN (WITH HIM PRINCE NEEQUAYE) FOR THE RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">AIKINS,
CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN, AMPIAH, ADJABENG, ACQUAH, ATUGUBA AND AKUFFO JJSC<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><o:p><span style="text-decoration-line: none;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></u></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">JUDGEMENT</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; 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;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Aikins JSC.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; 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;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">I have had occasion to read
beforehand the opinion about to be read by my learned brother Acquah JSC. I
agree with the views expressed by him together with his conclusion on the
matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; 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;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Charles Hayfron-Benjamin JSC</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">. On 23 July 1997,1 took my stand against the decision of this
court to permit the applicants in the certiorari proceedings to regularise
their affidavit. As happened, there was in fact nothing on the record which
even remotely qualified to earn the title “affidavit.” An affidavit is of a
course written document signed by a deponent and sworn to by him before a
commissioner of oaths or some other person duly authorized by statute to
exercise such function. In the instant application, the document was
thumbprinted but it was clearly unsworn. I think the essential characteristic
of an affidavit is that it is sworn.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; 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;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The applicants herein, who were the
respondents in the certiorari proceedings, have consequently, upon the making
of the order of a 23 July 1997, applied to this court for a review of that
order. The applicants contend that an unsworn document cannot pass for an
affidavit and in any case also, that by the rules of this court a sworn
affidavit should have accompanied the application. In the absence of a sworn
affidavit so accompanying the application, the same was void or incompetent.
The applicant further contended that it was contrary to public policy for this
court to admit an unsworn affidavit for use in the processes of this or any
other court. This court ought not therefore to lend its aid to the use of such
unsworn affidavit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; 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;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The respondents to this application
for review, applicants in the certiorari proceedings while admitting that their
“affidavit” was unsworn, nevertheless stake their stand on the analogous rule
in Order 38, r 14 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 1954 (LN 140), and
contend that similarly this court may correct lapses in any civil proceedings.
Quite apart from the fact that this court is not bound by the rules of the High
Court, that order deals with affidavits and Order 38, r 14 of LN 140A deals
with corrections in the jurat and any other matter in an affidavit. As I have
said, the essential prerequisite of an affidavi</main>