ABUBAKARI ABDULAI vs. DORIS ASIBI SEIDU [2007]DLHC7375

Date	2007-08-16
Suit No.	SUIT NO.E12/4/08
Citation No.	[2007]DLHC7375

HIS LORDSHIP G. S. SUURBAAREH .J.

ISSAH MAHMUD FOR APPLICANT

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2007]DLHC7375</p>
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													<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">ABUBAKARI ABDULAI<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center;
line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">DORIS ASIBI SEIDU<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">[HIGH COURT, TAMALE]<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">SUIT
NO.E12/4/08&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 16<sup>TH</sup> AUGUST, 2007<b><o:p></o:p></b></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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">COUNSEL: <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">ISSAH MAHMUD FOR APPLICANT <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">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">

</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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><o:p>&nbsp;</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">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">On
24th July 2007, the applicant issued out of registry of the Court, a writ of
summons claiming from the respondent the sum of ¢80,000,000.00 with interest
thereon from April 2005. The writ, which was accompanied by a statement of
claim, was served by express registered post on the respondent through the
clerk of Parliament. The writ was said to be issued by the applicant per his
lawful attorney Abubakari Abdulai. The power of attorney was not however
exhibited or filed. <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Following
a search carried out at the Registry of the Court on 7th August 2007, with the
result as per the search results exhibited to the affidavit in support of the
motion and marked "AS1”, the applicant on 8th August 2007, filed the
present motion praying for judgment in default of appearance. In the
accompanying affidavit, the applicant deposed to the fact that even though the
respondent was duly served with the writ of summons and statement of claim on
25th July 2007, she failed to enter appearance which therefore entitled the
applicant to move the count for a default judgment. <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Moving
the motion, counsel for the applicant submitted that by Order 9 r 5 (a) of the
High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004 CI 47, the time limited for entering an
appearance is eight days after the service of the writ and that the respondent
should have entered appearance by the first week in August 2007. If the writ of
summons was served on 25th July 2007, the eight days expired on 2nd August
2007. <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The
application is brought under Order 10 r 1 (1) of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules 2004 CI 47 and since the claim is for a liquidated sum, this
entitles the applicant to final judgment upon the failure of the respondent to
enter appearance to the writ within the time stipulated for entering appearance
to writ. The application was made ex parte since the defendant did not deem it
necessary to enter appearance to the writ and so in the normal course of things
should have been granted as of right. However, since as indicated the power of
attorney was not filed in the docket, the Court had to satisfy itself that the
person instituting the action had the power to do so in view of the provisions
of Order 1 r 4 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004 CI 47 that a person
who knowingly acts without authority in the Court in the name or on behalf of
another shall be liable for contempt. This prompted the Court to call on
counsel for the applicant to produce the power for inspection and to make a
copy available for filing in the docket. <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">When
the power of attorney was produced, it was found to be defective in many
respects. It was not witnessed by any person as there was no attestation to
that effect in compliance with Section 1 (2) of the Powers of Attorney Act,
1998 (Act 549). Since the power of on its face was made in Madona (Italy) and
meant for use in Ghana, such a power should be made before a notary public. See
Ghana Land Law and Conveyancing, (2nd edition) by B J da Rocha and CHK Lodoh
page 565 reference 57. The body of the power does not also show whether it was
given for the purpose of the present action or was a general power. <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">With
these defects in the document, which Abubakari Abdulai relied upon to institute
the present action, can the present application be maintained? The provisions
of Section 1 of Act 459 are mandatory and any document purporting to be a power
of attorney must strictly comply with the provisions of the law. An instrument
which purports to be a power of attorney which is not witnessed or made before
a notary public, if t is to be used overseas, is therefore not competent to
form the basis for a person to institute an action in Court in the name of or
on behalf of another person. Since the instrument upon which Abubakari Abdulai
relied on by instituting the present action was neither witnessed nor shown to
have been made before a notary public, it is not competent to sustain the writ
of summons issued. This being the case, there is no writ before the Court which
can give birth to an application for judgment in default of appearance.
Accordingly, the application is refused and the processes taken so far declared
null and void.<o:p></o:p></span></p></span></main>