APALOO vs. EDWARD WIREDU [2001]DLHC1164

Date	2001-07-31
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2001]DLHC1164

APPAU J

QUASHIE-IDUN FOR THE DEFENDANT.

C B K ZWENNES FOR PARLIAMENT.

[2001]DLHC1164
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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">APALOO<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;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_gjdgxs"></a><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">EDWARD WIREDU<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
2 GLR 335<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>QUASHIE-IDUN
FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

C B
K ZWENNES FOR PARLIAMENT. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Appau J. <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff in this action sued the defendant who is presently the Acting Chief
Justice of Ghana challenging his eligibility as a superior court judge, and
praying for an order to restrain him from working as a superior court judge.
The endorsement on the amended writ of the plaintiff indicates the reliefs the
plaintiff is seeking. These are:<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">“(1)
A declaration that the appointment of the defendant as a judge of the High
Court by the National Liberation Council was wrongful. <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)
A further declaration that any promotion based on the void appointment is also
null and void of no legal consequence. <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">(3)
A declaration that the purported recall of the defendant to the bench without
judicial adjudication clearing him of corruption, is null and void and of no
legal consequence. <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)
An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from working as a
judge of the superior court of judicature.”<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff attached to the writ an application for interlocutory injunction to
restrain the defendant from presenting himself to Parliament for vetting and
also to prevent Parliament from vetting the defendant for the position of Chief
Justice for which he has been nominated by the President of the Republic. The
crux of the plaintiff’s claim and the application for injunction was that at
all material times that the defendant has been working as a superior court
judge for the past 30 years or so, he was not qualified to work as such so the
President could not have nominated him for the post of Chief Justice of Ghana.<o:p></o:p>The
defendant entered a conditional appearance to the whole action and filed a
notice to raise a preliminary objection to the suit. It is this objection in
limine which I have been obliged in law to determine. According to counsel for
the defendant, led by Quashie-Idun, Esq, the gist of the plaintiff’s claim is a
challenge to the constitutionality of the defendant’s appointment as justice of
the superior court of judicature. According to leading counsel, whatever
happened before 1969 and after, notwithstanding, the defendant was duly
appointed to his present position under the Constitution, 1992 and is therefore
legally holding that position. Counsel said any challenge to his position or
any subtle moves to have him removed are matters which have to be decided upon
a proper interpretation of the Constitution, 1992, a task which article 130(1)
of the Constitution, 1992 does not mandate this court to do.<o:p></o:p>