EMMANUEL TETTEH BLEBOO AND BENJAMIN NARH BLEBOO SAMUEL YAO OPATA AND LANDS COMMISSION [2010]DLCA5235

EMMANUEL TETTEH BLEBOO AND BENJAMIN NARH BLEBOO SAMUEL YAO OPATA AND LANDS COMM... [2010]DLCA5235

Date	2010-10-21
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/55/2009
Citation No.	[2010]DLCA5235

MARIAMA OWUSU JA (PRESIDING)

YAW APPAU JA

MARFUL-SAU JA

CHRISTOPH KOKA FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

BAFFOUR ASSASIE-GYIMAH FOR FIRST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2010]DLCA5235
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMMANUEL
TETTEH BLEBOO AND BENJAMIN NARH BLEBOO<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL YAO OPATA AND LANDS COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL
APPEAL NO: H1/55/2009&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;DATE: 21ST OCTOBER,
2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>CHRISTOPH
KOKA FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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BAFFOUR
ASSASIE-GYIMAH FOR FIRST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MARIAMA
OWUSU JA&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (PRESIDING), YAW APPAU JA,
MARFUL-SAU JA<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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MARFUL-SAU,
JA:-This
appeal is taken from the judgment of the High Court (Fast Track Division),
Accra dated the 25th July 2008. The Plaintiffs would be referred to
as Appellants and the first Defendant would be known simply as the first
Respondent in this appeal. The appellants by their amended writ dated the 27th
December, 2007 claimed the following reliefs:-<o:p></o:p>1. Declaration of title to
the disputed land.<o:p></o:p>2. A declaration that the
learned Magistrate’s judgment of the 7th October, 1976 was made in
excess of jurisdiction and therefore the said judgment is null and void. <o:p></o:p>3. An order that any grant
made by the said first defendant be rendered null and void.<o:p></o:p>4. An order that any grant
made by the said first defendant through the Land Commission be rendered null
and void.<o:p></o:p>5. An order that the
second defendant should expunge any registration made through a grant by the
first defendant.<o:p></o:p>6. An order of perpetual
injunction to restrain the first defendant, his servants, agents and assigns
from interfering with the plaintiffs land.<o:p></o:p>7. An order that the
judgment made on the 7th October 1976 was clearly made per incuriam.<o:p></o:p>8. Damages for trespass to
the plaintiffs land.<o:p></o:p>The Appellants described
the land they were claiming as follows:-<o:p></o:p>‘’All that land situate at
Dodowa on Accra-Somanya road between kilometer 46 and 49 containing an
approximate area of 997 acres of land and bounded on the North by Shai stool
lands, measuring more or less on the south by the vendors land more or less on
the East by the vendors land measuring more or less which piece or parcel of
land is more particularly delineated on the plan.’’<o:p></o:p>Reading the judgment of
the trial court it seems the plaintiffs filed various process amending their
pleadings, which process were adopted by the parties and the court. (See page
197 of the Record of Appeal) <o:p></o:p>The appellants claim of
ownership of the land the subject of the dispute was disputed by the first
respondent who relied on a judgment of the District Court, Dodowa dated the 27th
October 1976, a fact recited by the appellants in their statement of claim.
Having raised the defence of res judicata, the trial court ordered a trial to
ascertain whether the land the subject matter of the 1976 suit was the same as
the present action. At the end of a short trial judgment was entered for the
first respondent on the defence of estoppels per rem judicatam.<o:p></o:p>It is this judgment that
the appellants are seeking to reverse in this appeal. The notice of appeal
filed by the appellants had two grounds, namely:-<o:p></o:p>a. The judgment is against
the weight of evidence adduced at the trial.<o:p></o:p>b. The learned trial judge
misdirec</main>