REPUBLIC vs. GRUNSHIE [2004]DLHC1016

Date	2004-06-15
Suit No.	[2003-2005] 1 GLR 119
Citation No.	[2004]DLHC1016

ADZAGLI J

SALIA ABDUL QUDDUS ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC.

NO REPRESENTATION FOR THE ACCUSED.

[2004]DLHC1016
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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">GRUNSHIE<o:p></o:p>HIGH
COURT, TAMALE<o:p></o:p>[2003-2005]
1 GLR 119<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>SALIA
ABDUL QUDDUS, ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC. <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">

NO
REPRESENTATION FOR THE ACCUSED. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Adzagli J.
The accused is charged with the following offences: (1) possessing firearm
without authority contrary to section 192 of the Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29);
and (2) possessing firearm in a prohibited area contrary to section 9(1) of the
Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491).<o:p></o:p>Before
the charge was read out and explained to the accused and his plea taken, I
pointed out to learned counsel for the Republic that the offence under section
192 of Act 29 required the written consent of the Attorney-General before
prosecution. His reply was that he was instructed by his boss (that is the
principal state attorney, in charge of the Northern Region) that the
Attorney-General had given his consent to all law officers in the
Attorney-General’s Department to prosecute all cases on his behalf and that
therefore the Attorney-General’s written consent is not necessary where the
prosecution is being done by a legal officer from the Attorney-General’s
Department. The plea of the accused was then taken and the accused pleaded
guilty to both counts. I deferred further consideration of the case to today to
enable me take a closer look at the statutes under which the accused is
charged, and to express my opinion, in particular, on section 192 of Act 29.<o:p></o:p>Now
section 192(1) of Act 29 as substituted by the Criminal Code (Amendment)
Decree, 1969 (NLCD 398), para 11 provides:<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">“192.
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other enactment, any person who has
in his possession, custody or control without lawful excuse, the proof whereof
shall be on him, any explosive, firearm or ammunition shall be guilty of first
degree felony:<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">Provided
that no prosecution shall be instituted under this section without the consent
in writing of the Attorney-General.”<o:p></o:p>(The
emphasis is mine.)<o:p></o:p>I
believe that it is not in controversy that there is only one Attorney-General
in the country. Article 88(1) of the Constitution, 1992 which created the
office of the Attorney-General states: “There shall be an Attorney-General of
Ghana who shall be a Minister of State and the principal legal adviser to the
Government.” (The emphasis is mine.) From the use of the definite articles “an”
and “a” appearing in the section, it is clear that only one person can occupy
that position at a time, and so has it been. It is however clear that the
functions of tha</main>