TETTEH AND OTHERS vs. ESSILFIE AND ANOTHER [2001]DLSC1271

Date	2001-07-11
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2001]DLSC1271

AMPIAH JSC

KPEGAH JSC

ADJABENG JSC

LAMPTEY JSC

ADZOE JSC

S A X TSEGAH FOR THE APPELLANTS.

J OPOKU-AGYEI FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[2001]DLSC1271
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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">TETTEH AND OTHERS<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">ESSILFIE AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
1 GLR 440<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>S A
X TSEGAH FOR THE APPELLANTS.<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">

J
OPOKU-AGYEI FOR THE RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

AMPIAH,
KPEGAH, ADJABENG, LAMPTEY AND ADZOE JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Kpegah JSC. <o:p></o:p>Delivered
the judgment of the court. The instant appeal presents no complicated legal or
factual issues for determination. The issues presented relate to one of law
which, in our view, are well settled and, indeed, well treated by the Court of
Appeal in its unanimous decision of 22 June 1995 in Essilfie v Tetteh [1995-96]
1 GLR 297, CA.<o:p></o:p>The
brief antecedents of this case are that all the parties are members of the
Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress. The
plaintiffs together with the first, second and third defendants are all members
of the Assin Fosu branch of the union with the said defendants being executive
members of the local branch. The fourth defendant is the regional chairman of
the Central Region branch of the GPRTU. By article 24 of the constitution of
the union, members are to have recourse to, in the event of a dispute, certain
domestic tribunals established under the constitution before, having recourse
to, with the approval of the national executive council, any external
adjudicatory authority. The plaintiffs in the instant case ignored this laid
down procedure in the union’s constitution and immediately issued a writ in the
High Court, Cape Coast seeking the following declarations and consequential
orders against the defendants:<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">“(a)
A declaration that the defendants have breached the constitution, rules and
bye-laws of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the TUC by
failing to call local meetings of the Fosu branch union for seven and a half
months contrary to article 18(iv)(a). <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">(b)
A declaration that the branch chairman has breached the said constitution,
rules and bye-laws by failing to call for an audit of the union accounts since
1991 contrary to article 16(iv). <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">(c)
A declaration that the term of office of the present executive has expired
since 17 April 1993. <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">(d)
A declaration that the first defendant is not qualified to hold the office of
chairman by virtue of articles 12(a) and 26 of the constitution, rules and
bye-laws, he not being the holder of a professional driver’s licence. <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">