PEKI STOOL vs. TSITO AWUDOME STOOL [2009]DLSC4955

Date	2009-02-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/14/2008
Citation No.	[2009]DLSC4955

MRS WOOD C.J. (PRESIDING)

BROBBEY J.S.C.

DATE-BAH J.S.C.

ANIN YEBOAH J.S.C.

BAFFOE-BONNIE J.S.C.

JAMES AHENKORAH WITH GEORGE AMAGYEI FOR THE RESPONDENT

SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE APPELLANT

[2009]DLSC4955
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >PEKI STOOL<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/
RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>TSITO AWUDOME STOOL<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/
APPELLANT/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<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">

CIVIL APPEAL NO.&nbsp;
J4/14/2008&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; 26TH FEBRUARY, 2009<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JAMES
AHENKORAH WITH GEORGE AMAGYEI FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>MRS
WOOD C.J. (PRESIDING), BROBBEY J.S.C., DATE-BAH J.S.C., ANIN YEBOAH J.S.C.,
BAFFOE-BONNIE J.S.C.&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;<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>BROBBEY, JSC: <o:p></o:p>This
is an interlocutory appeal from the Judgment of the Court of Appeal dated the 8th
day of May, 2007.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
facts relevant to this case are that, in the year 1957 Togbe Ayim Darke IV
instituted legal action against Togbe Gobo Darke XI of Tsito and one Ntow
Peniana, a subject of Tsito, in the Peki Native Court for a declaration of
title and damages for trespass to parcels of land known as Awaline Avagah and
Tiame. The case was transferred to the High Court, Ho, presided over by
Francois J. (as he then was) where the trial commenced before HIM. The High
Court gave Judgment in favour of Togbe Ayim Darke IV of Peki on the 11th
of November 1975. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Togbe
Gobo Darke XI of Tsito appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Appeal was
allowed. There was a further appeal to the Supreme Court which was dismissed. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
case appeared to have been legally closed until the 13th of July
1987 when Togbe Ayim Darke IV instituted an action in the High Court Accra for
a declaration that the Judgement of Francois J in the High Court, Ho, was null
and void for want of jurisdiction, and a further order setting aside the
Judgement of the Court of Appeal which had affirmed it. It finally applied for an
order referring the matter to the Stool Lands boundary Settlement Commission
under the Stool Land Boundary Settlement Decree, 1973 (NRCD 172). The reliefs
were granted by the High Court in Accra, presided over by Omari Sasu J.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Togbe
Gobo Darke XII and Ntow Peniana of Tsito appealed to the Supreme Court pursuant
to leave granted by the Court of Appeal. In the preparation of their case, they
run out of time and the case was struck out by the Supreme Court. Togbe Gobo
Darke XII then brought an application for certiorari to quash the Judgment of
the Accra High Court and all consequential orders made there under.&nbsp; The application was granted but it was
further ordered that the suit should be sent to the Stool Lands Boundary
Settlement Commission.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Awudome stool as overlords of the Tsito stool joined the suit as second
claimant. The Peki stool remained the first claimant. Upon the coming into
force of the Stool Lands Boundary Settlement (Repeal) Act, 2000 (Act 587) all
cases pending before the Stool Lands Boundary Settlement Commission including
the instant suit were transferred to the High Court, Accra. The relevant
section of the Act read as follows:<o:p></o:p>“3. (1)Subject to subsection (2), all cases and
proceedings pending before the Commissioner immediately before the coming into
force of this Act are by the Act transferred to the High Court.<o:p></o:p>(2) Any
case before the Commissioner in which evidence has been taken shall be
concluded by him within a period not exceeding eight months from the date of
coming into force of this Act.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At
the time of the transfer, the matter was part heard before the Commissioner. As
apparent in this section 3(2) of Act 587, the Commissioner was given eight
months to complete all cases pending before the Commission. Cases which could
not be completed before the eight-month deadline were to be transferred to the
High Court to be concluded. The Peki Stool took six years to complete its
evidence. The Awudome Stool started to give evidence but it called only one
witness when the eight-month deadline expired and the case was adjourned
indefinitely.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></</main>