REPUBLIC vs. MENSAH [1999]DLCA466

Date	1999-05-24
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1999]DLCA466

OFORI-BOATENG JA

BADDOO JA

GBADEGBE JA

MRS BARBARA ACQUAH STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC-APPELLANT.

K ABOAGYE FOR THE RESPONDENT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1999]DLCA466</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:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><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">REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><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></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><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">MENSAH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[1999-2000] 1 GLR 47<o:p></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">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL</span></b><span 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:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">MRS BARBARA ACQUAH, STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC-APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></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" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
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mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">K ABOAGYE FOR THE RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
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mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">OFORI-BOATENG, BADDOO AND
GBADEGBE JJA<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGMENT OF GBADEGBE JA<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Gbadegbe JA delivered the judgment of the court at the invitation
of Ofori-Boateng JSC. The question which arises in this interlocutory appeal is
whether the admission of the respondent to bail pending appeal by a High Court
judge after the same had earlier on been refused by a judge of co-ordinate
jurisdiction, is right in the circumstances of the case? Much as we take the
view that the said question is of some importance to the administration of the
criminal justice system, we think that having regard to the fact that the
respondent has been on bail for more than four and half years pending the
determination of his appeal, this brings his situation within the criteria
described as exceptional or unusual circumstance which on the state of the
authorities entitles him to the grant of bail pending appeal. It being so, we
do not desire to inquire into the appeal herein on the merits.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">In our view to do so would amount to doing that which serves the
purpose of undermining confidence in the administration of justice. It is also
worthy to note that having regard to what we conceive to be the settled
judicial practice of appellate courts where a person such as the respondent has
been on bail pending appeal for a long period such as has unfolded in the
instant case, there is a reluctance in sending the appellant back into custody.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Accordingly we would rather direct that the registry of the trial
Circuit Court, Accra expedites the preparation of the record of proceedings
which we understand is not yet ready and have the same forwarded to the
registry of this court within a month from today. It is further directed that
if at the expiry of the said period the record is not ready, then the registrar
should forward a written explanation to the registry of this court on this
unfortunate state of affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><a name="_gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">In the circumstances the
invitation urged on us by the appellant in the appeal herein is refused.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>

</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
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yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p></span></span></main>