GBEWAA CIVIL ENGINEERS vs. MENSAH [1999]DLCA279

Date	1999-04-01
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1999]DLCA279

SAPONG JA

ESSILFIE-BONDZIE JA

AFREH JA

PETER ALA ADJETEY FOR THE APPELLANT-APPLICANT.

NO APPEARANCE FOR THE RESPONDENT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1999]DLCA279</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;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; 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 style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">GBEWAA CIVIL
ENGINEERS</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; 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 style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">vs.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; 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: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">MENSAH</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; 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: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[COURT OF
APPEAL, ACCRA]</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; 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: 0in 0in 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" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[1999-2000] 1 GLR 637&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; &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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">DATE: 1</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">ST</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"> APRIL, 1999</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">COUNSEL:
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 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: 0.0001pt; 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; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">PETER ALA ADJETEY FOR THE APPELLANT-APPLICANT.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; 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; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">NO APPEARANCE FOR THE RESPONDENT.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">CORAM:
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 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: 0.0001pt; 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; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">SAPONG, ESSILFIE-BONDZIE AND AFREH JJA</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></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="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; 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><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">ESSILFIE-BONDZIE JA.</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-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 style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">On 11 May 1998 this court ordered
the parties to this appeal to comply with rule 20 of the Court of Appeal Rule,
1997 (CI 19). On 1 June 1998 the appellant in compliance with the order filed
their statement of case. The record shows that the respondent failed to file
his written submission in answer to the appellants’ written submission within
three weeks as required by rule 20 (4) of CI 19. As a search conducted by the
solicitor of the appellant’s reveals, the respondent was served with a copy of
the appellants’ statement of case on 4 July 1998. But the respondent failed to
file his statement of case within three weeks. He filed it on 8 January 1999.
That is out of time by six months.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-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 style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The application before us is a
prayer for an order striking out or expunging the statement of case filed on
behalf of the respondent. Learned counsel for the appellants has not indicated
on his motion paper the rule under which he is invoking the power of the court.
I have carefully read CI 19 but nowhere have I found the sort of sanction the
appellants are seeking the aid of the court to enforce. The only rule under CI
19 which appears to punish a respondent for non-compliance with rule 20 (4) of
CI 19 is rule 20 (8) which empowers the court to proceed to hear an appeal
without giving the respondent a hearing. And this applies only when he failed
to file a written submission of his case. There is no provision for striking
out a written submission, filed out of time.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-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 style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Be that as it may, the facts are
clear that the respondent filed his statement of case when it was out of time
by six months. But one must not lose sight of the fact that, at the time the
appeal came before the court the respondent had already filed his statement of
case. Rule 20 (4) of CI 19, however, provides:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5pt 0.</main>