REPUBLIC vs. COURT OF APPEAL; EX PARTE SITO I [2001]DLSC1232

Date	2001-05-16
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2001]DLSC1232

AMPIAH JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

AKUFFO JSC

LAMPTEY JSC

ADZOE JSC

AMBROSE DERY (WITH HIM MISS LEDA LIMANN AND T SORY) FOR THE APPELLANT.

W Y OPPONG FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[2001]DLSC1232
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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">REPUBLIC<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><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">COURT OF APPEAL; EX PARTE SITO I<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
1 GLR 319<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>AMBROSE
DERY (WITH HIM MISS LEDA LIMANN AND T SORY) FOR THE APPELLANT.<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">

W Y
OPPONG FOR THE RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

AMPIAH,
ATUGUBA, AKUFFO, LAMPTEY AND ADZOE JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Atuguba JSC. <o:p></o:p>Delivered
the first judgment at the invitation of Ampiah JSC. In this case an order was
on 2 November 1988 made by the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs in a
chieftaincy proceedings before it, 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">“We
order the first petitioner Nana Kofi Mensah, the third petitioner, Nana Kwasi
Wuromo, the Krontihene of Banda, the fourth petitioner, Nana Sodoyi, the
Oyokohene of Banda and Nana Sie Nyomo, the Akyeamehene to convey the black
stool to the Petelli royal house, Kabrena not later than 15 November 1988.”<o:p></o:p>(The
emphasis is mine.) The appellant belongs to the Kralongo royal house of Banda
from which the black stool was to be returned to the other royal house of
Banda, namely the Petelli royal house.<o:p></o:p>An
appeal from the judgment and said order of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of
Chiefs was dismissed on 29 March 1991 by the National House of Chiefs. A
further appeal to this court was dismissed on 6 June 1995.<o:p></o:p>The
application for attachment for contempt against the appellant was filed in the
High Court, Sunyani on 26 January 1999. It is alleged that the appellant
indulged in acts contemptuous of the order as from 23 December 1997; and the
Court of Appeal so found and held. It is however admitted that the Banda stool
was returned to the respondent’s family on 15 September 1998.<o:p></o:p>Several
arguments had been addressed to us as to whether the application for contempt
against the appellant was not a cause or matter affecting chieftaincy. However,
on perusal of the record of appeal we felt that the matter was not a cause or
matter affecting chieftaincy but that if the order of the Brong-Ahafo Regional
House of Chiefs had lapsed before the alleged acts of contempt by the appellant
then the question of contempt could not arise.<o:p></o:p>Since
this matter had not been raised by the parties we, pursuant to rule 6(8) of the
Supreme Court Rules, 1996 (CI 16) gave the parties ample opportunity to address
the issue of contempt other than whether the matter is a cause or matter
affecting chieftaincy. The parties, however, did not advert their minds to the
question whether the said order of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs had
lapsed, aforesaid. The said order of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs,
aforesaid, required the persons therein named “to convey the black stool to the
Petelli royal house, Kabrena not later than 15 November 1988.”<o:p></o:p>