<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation" hidden>[2005]DLHC7081</p> <div class="restriction-wrapper"> <div class="container-lg"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 restricted-content"> <div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper"> <div class="lock-icon bounce-7"> <img class="" src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png" alt="Subscription based content"> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> Login to Read Full Case </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">ADJORKOR BADU ANUM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">DAVID ODARTEY OBENNEY AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">L. 445/99 </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif""> DATE: 3<sup>RD</sup> FEBRUARY 2005<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">HER LORDSHIP MRS. FELICITY AMOAH, JUDGE<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">B/C — This Ruling is in respect of Motion on Notice raise preliminary Legal Points filed on 2-7-04 by Counsel for the Defendants, namely, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(a) Nullity of the Claim of Plaintiff as per the attached Notice of Agbawe family.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> (b) Lack of Capacity to issue the Writ of Summons. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">A brief background of the Case is as follows:— Plaintiff sued Defendants for declaration of Title to all that piece of land as described on the Writ; Recovery of Possession of the said land; Damages for trespass, and further reliefs including a Perpetual Injunction restraining Defendants. The Defendants entered an Appearance and filed a defence. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Somewhere along the line an injunction was placed on the Defendants, their Agents and Assigns from interfering with the land the subject matter of the Suit. The Defendants disobeyed the Court's Order and having been found in Contempt of the Orders of the High-Court dated 18-2-00, were accordingly, on 26-11-01 sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 21 days apparently based on their own admission of guilt. The following day after the sentence on 27-11-01, an Application for Bail pending Appeal was filed on behalf of the Contemnors. The Application was dismissed on 29-11-01. A Review Application was filed and granted on 6-12-01 for the Contemnors to purge themselves of the Contempt and file their undertaking in Court. The Contemnors accordingly filed an undertaking to purge themselves of the Contempt by pulling down the structure to the point it was before the injunction was placed on them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This is briefly the background and I must add that the Contemnors have still not purged their Contempt. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">In moving her Motion to raise preliminary legal point, Counsel for the Defendant submitted that the said Nii Okpoti Boye who was referred in Plaintiff's Claim (para 5) that she acquired the land from Agbawe Family of represented by Nii Okpoti by virtue of a deed of Conveyance is a nullity because the Said Nii Okpoti Boye was as at 1979 not a proper person to give land at Agbawe. Counsel referred to a Notice in the graphic dated 12-9-02 whereby Nii Okpoti Boye was only to advise the family as to how proceeds ought to be used. Counsel submitted that the Said Nii Okpoti Boye did not have the capacity to grant the lands. Counsel made reference to the Case of Yorkwa v: Duah (1992/93) 1 GLR and submitted that once it is proved that a person has no Capacity, then his Case is a nullity. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">In opposing, Counsel for the Plaintiff submitted, inter-alia, that the Legal points being raised is totally misconceived and only a way of getting thro' the back door without fulfilling certain cardinal principles of law; That the Defendants have up till now not purged themselves of the Contempt. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Upon Consideration of Submission of both Counsel, I find that Defendants submission on the preliminary legal points filed on 2-7-04 is totally misconceived and without any merit whatsoever. As stated earlier, the Defendants have not purged themselves of their Contempt, as at now. As stated in Hadkinson v. H. the Defendants cannot be heard until they have purged themselves of the Contempt. I find that Defendants Application before me is only seeking to obtain an Order of this Court dismissing the Suit as a result of which they would not have to purge themselves of the Contempt. Further, I see that Counsel's Argument on Capacity is based on some Public Notice which is titled "Teshie and Agbawe Family Land Affairs". This document has not been pleaded anywhere and besides this document is only a Reply to Public Notice. It therefore cannot be used as cogent evidence. On the pleadings, the Plaintiff's Claim is based on family land and not Agbawe quarter land. Furthermore, I find that issues of Capacity are matters of which evidence is taken in Court under Oath and put to the test by cross-examination. And it is only when the Court is satisfied by the evidence would the Court dismiss the Suit for Lack of Capacity. The document that the Defendants rely on is neither original nor stamped as an exhibit. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">On the basis of the above, the Defendants preliminary legal points raised will be and is hereby overruled. It is further ordered that the Defendants should purge themselves of the Contempt for the case to be determined on its merit. The issue of Capacity has not been timeously made. They should purge themselves of Contempt before we proceed with the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p></span></main>
