KOTEY vs. KOLETEY [2000]DLSC334

Date	2000-11-08
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2000]DLSC334

BAMFORD-ADDO JSC

KPEGAH JSC

ADJABENG JSC

ACQUAH JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

J K AHENKORA FOR THE APPLICANT.

AWERE AWUKU FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[2000]DLSC334
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><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">KOTEY<o:p></o:p><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;;
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mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">KOLETEY<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1999-2000] 2 GLR 641<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black .5pt;padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black .5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">Date: 8 NOVEMBER 2000<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>J K AHENKORA FOR THE APPLICANT.AWERE AWUKU FOR
THE RESPONDENT._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CORAM:BAMFORD-ADDO,
KPEGAH, ADJABENG, ACQUAH AND ATUGUBA JJSC_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Bamford Addo
JSC. This is a motion for special leave to appeal to the Supreme
Court from the decision of the Court of Appeal under article 131(2) of the
Constitution, 1992. The appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court can be
found in article 131(2) thereof which provides as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“131. (1) An appeal shall be from a Judgment of the Court of
Appeal to the Supreme Court—<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a) as of right in a civil or
criminal cause or matter in respect of which an appeal has been brought to the
Court of Appeal from a judgment of the High Court or a Regional Tribunal in the
exercise of its original jurisdiction; or <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b) with leave of the Court of
Appeal, in any other cause or matter, where the case was commenced in a court
lower than the High Court or a Regional Tribunal and where the Court of Appeal
is satisfied that the case involves a substantial question of law or is in the
public interest. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2) Notwithstanding clause (1) of this article, the Supreme Court
may entertain an application for special leave to appeal to the Supreme Court
in any cause or matter, civil or criminal, and may grant leave accordingly.”<o:p></o:p>The right of appeal in article 131(1)(a) of the Constitution, 1992
is as of right, but that under 131(1)(b) requires leave from the Court of
Appeal. If refused, the application could be made for special leave under
article 131(2) of the Constitution, 1992. The application for special leave
where leave has been refused by the Court of Appeal is governed by rule 7(2) of
the Supreme Court Rules, 1996 (CI 16). Rule 7(4) of CI 16 governs an
application for special leave made straight to the Supreme Court. Whereas in
the grant of special leave under rule 7(2) of CI 16, time limit of fourteen
days was prescribed, that under rule 7(4) of CI 16 provides no time limit: Rule
7(4) of CI 16 states:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(4) Notwithstanding sub-rules (1) to (3) of this rule an
application for special leave to appeal under clause (2) of article 131 shall
be entertained by the Court and the Court may grant leave on such terms as the
Court may consider fit having regard to the circumstances of the case.”<o:p></o:p>In this present case the judgment of the Court of Appeal against
which an appeal is sought is dated 23 December 1999 and the applicant had
fourteen days therefrom to apply to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal to
the Supreme Court under rule 7(1) of CI 16, since the case commenced in the
circuit court. The applicant failed to apply to the Court of Appeal for leave
to appeal to the Supreme Court within the specified limitation period.
According to him, his failure to comply with the rule was due to the fact that
he had to look for a lawyer and then his lawyer first applied to the Court of
Appeal for stay of execution which was dismissed before realising that the
application should have been made within fourteen days, which time had by then
already passed. It was after the dismissal of the stay of execution that the
applicant’s counsel realised that he was out of time and could not therefore
apply for leave under rules 7(1) or 7(2) of CI 16 as the time limited for
applying had expired. Since, as was held in Imbeah v Ababio [2000] SC GLR 259,
the taking of a false step by an applicant does not prevent time from running
against him, the applicant had no alternative than to avail himself of rule
7(4) of CI 16 which provided no time limit, and applied directly to this court
for special leave to appeal. According to Mr Ahenkorah, counsel for the
applicant, not having availed himself of rules 7(1) and (2) of CI 16, he was
entitled to apply to the Supreme Court for special leave under rule 7(4) of CI
16.<o:p></o:p>