NII NORTEY OMABOE III AND 3 OTHERS vs. ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE LAND COMMISSION [2006]DLSC6431

Date	2006-06-21
Suit No.	SUIT NO. REF.J6/1/2005
Citation No.	[2006]DLSC6431

MISS AKUFFO J.S.C. (PRESIDING)

DR. TWUM J.S.C.

DR. DATE-BAH J.S.C.

PROF. OCRAN J.S.C.

ANINAKWAH J.S.C.

MR. BRIGHT AKWETEY FOR PLAINTIFFS

MRS. QUANSAH WITH MR. KWAME POKU FOR LANDS COMMISSION

MR. NICHOLAS FREDUA KWARTENG A.S.A. FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL

[2006]DLSC6431
																																						<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" >NII NORTEY OMABOE III AND 3 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
THE LAND COMMISSION <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MR. BRIGHT AKWETEY FOR PLAINTIFFS <o:p></o:p>

MRS. QUANSAH WITH MR. KWAME POKU FOR
LANDS COMMISSION <o:p></o:p>

MR. NICHOLAS FREDUA KWARTENG A.S.A.
FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

MISS AKUFFO, J.S.C. (PRESIDING) DR.
TWUM, J.S.C. DR. DATE-BAH, J.S.C. PROF. OCRAN, J.S.C. AND ANINAKWAH, J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>PROF.
T.M. OCRAN, J.S.C <o:p></o:p>Mrs.
Justice F. Owusu-Arhin in a High Court ruling dated 1 April 2004, referred an
issue in the above matter to us for interpretation. She adjourned the case sine
die and has framed the referral in the following terms: <o:p></o:p>“Whether
or not by virtue of Article 267 of the 1992 Constitution, the vesting power of
E.I. No. 108 of 1964, namely, the Accra-Tema City Stool Lands (Vesting
Instrument, 1964, has lapsed.”<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiffs herein, in a writ of summons and Statement of Claim issued against
the Defendants on 31st October 2003, claimed the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>“1.
A declaration that the control and management by the Defendants of the Osu
Mantse Layout lapsed with the promulgation of the 1992 Constitution; <o:p></o:p>2.
A declaration that all leases renewed after the promulgation of the 1992
Constitution are null and void and of no effect; <o:p></o:p>3.
A declaration that the 1st and 2nd Defendants were enjoined by E.I. 108 of 1964
to collect the rents and other outgoings accruing from the properties situate
in the Osu Mantse Layout and pay same to the Osu Stool; <o:p></o:p>4.
An order for accounts of all moneys received by Defendants and payment of same
to the Plaintiffs; <o:p></o:p>5.
Any further or other reliefs as to the court may seem meet.” <o:p></o:p>After
pleadings had closed, it transpired that the second Defendant, the Lands
Commission, had not filed any Statement of Defence. The Plaintiffs therefore
applied for an interlocutory judgment in default of defence to be entered
against it. This came up for hearing on 1st April 2005. The learned High Court
judge took the view that the Plaintiffs' claims called for an interpretation of
Article 267(1) of the 1992 Constitution, and declined the application. Hence
the referral to this Court. <o:p></o:p>At
any rate, we have had the benefit of full Statements of Case from the
Plaintiffs, the Attorney General's Department, and the Lands Commission, as
well as the very helpful written submissions from the Office of the
Administrator of Stool Lands as the request of this Court. We will capture the
essence of their submissions, and then spell out our position in due course. <o:p></o:p>BASIC ISSUES AND THE ARGUMENTS MADE BEFORE
US <o:p></o:p>By
way of background, we give a brief account of the origins of the lands in
question and government involvement therein, as set out by both the Lands
Commission and the Administrator of Stool Lands in their submissions to us. As
the explanation goes, the Osu Mantse Layout of parcels of land came into
existence much earlier than E.I. 108 of 1964. It was the subject of a Deed of
Exchange dated 2/6/1930 between the Governor of the Gold Coast and the Osu
Stool and its Elders. The Deed of Exchange referred to three parcels of land
described as First, Second and Third Schedules, with the First and Third
Schedule lands indisputably vested in the Osu Stool. When E.I. 108 came into
force on 18th September 1964, the lands comprised in Schedules One and Three
were automatically caught by the Instrument. This Executive Instrument actually
vested all stool lands in Accra and Tema in the President in trust. However,
the Instrument could not be fully implemented because the Lands Department
lawyers at the time were said to have advised that all freehold grants made by
the respective stools would first have to be compiled and excluded from the
area affected by the Vesting Order. This could not be done; and so it turned
out that E.I. 108 is being implemented over only two areas: the Osu Mantse
Layout (part of Ridge) and North Dzorwulu. <o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiffs subm</main>