OKWEI NOI MENSAH vs. THE ADMINISTRATORS OF ESTATE OF STEPHEN EBENEZER LARYEA AND MADAM CHARITY SEDATOR [2010]DLSC2582

OKWEI NOI MENSAH vs. THE ADMINISTRATORS OF ESTATE OF STEPHEN EBENEZER LARYEA AND... [2010]DLSC2582

Date	2010-05-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/15/2009
Citation No.	[2010]DLSC2582

BROBBEY JSC (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

BEN QUORNOOH ALLIANCE LEGAL FOR THE PLAINTIFF /APPELLANT /APPELLANT.

KIZITO BEYUO BEYUO JUMU & CO. FOR THE DEFENDANTS /RESPONDENTS /RESPONDENTS.

[2010]DLSC2582
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OKWEI NOI MENSAH<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ADMINISTRATORS OF
ESTATE OF STEPHEN EBENEZER LARYEA AND MADAM CHARITY SEDATOR<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[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. J4/15/2009&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 26TH
MAY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>BEN QUORNOOH, ALLIANCE
LEGAL FOR THE PLAINTIFF /APPELLANT /APPELLANT.<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">

KIZITO
BEYUO, BEYUO JUMU &amp; CO. FOR THE DEFENDANTS /RESPONDENTS /RESPONDENTS.<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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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">BROBBEY
JSC (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, OWUSU (MS) JSC, YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC<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">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>YEBOAH,
JSC:<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff/appellant/appellant (who shall be
referred to as the plaintiff) commenced an action against the
defendant/respondent/respondent (who shall be referred to as the defendant) in
respect of a piece or parcel of the land at La forming part of the La, Abafum
Quarter Lands claiming the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Declaration that the land in dispute in the two (2) judgments of<o:p></o:p>I. judgment in suit N0L132/1961 (High Court-
presided over by Mrs. Justice Annie Jiagge) and<o:p></o:p>ii. judgment in Civil Appeal N014/1962 (Supreme
Court – presided over by Korsah (CJ), Crabbe (JSC) touch and concern two
parcels of the same contiguous stretch of land described as La, Abafum Quarter
Lands.<o:p></o:p>2. Declaration that the Supreme Court’s unanimous
judgments entered on the 13th March 1963 in Civil Appeal suit
N014/1962 reversed, overruled and superseded the High Court Judgment by Mrs.
Annie Jiagge dated 23rd March 1962 in suit N0L132/1961.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;
Declaration that on the legal authorities enshrined in the said two
judgments, 1st defendants said Deed of Gift dated 28TH
March, 1945, Registered as N0211/1945 and the consequential Land Title
Certificate N0 GA 1078 are both null and void having been procured by fraud and
misrepresentation.<o:p></o:p>4. An order directing the Chief Executive, Land
Title Registry to cancel the said Land Title Certificate N0 GA 1078 immediately
as null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.<o:p></o:p>5. Declaration of title of the land in dispute in
the plaintiff’s family as bona fide owners in possession.<o:p></o:p>Additionally, the plaintiff sought the ancillary
reliefs of recovery of possession, perpetual injunction and damages. The facts
on which the case turned, which were found by the two lower courts not to be in
controversy may be briefly stated as follows. One Okwei Noi Mensah who on the
record is the plaintiff’s predecessor in the title was sued by one Stephen
Laryea the first defendant’s predecessor-in-title in respect of a parcel of
land at La, Abafum Quarter.&nbsp; The action
was commenced in 1961 and the claim was for declaration of title to the said
land, damages for trespass etc. The trial High Court judge Mrs. Justice Annie
Jiagge on 23rd of March 1962 entered judgment against Okwei Noi
Mensah and awarded damages of 50 pounds for trespass in favour of Stephen
Laryea.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; Okwei Noi
Mensah who lost the case did not lodge any appeal against the judgment and
later died. In 1997, however the plaintiff herein commenced an action at the
High Court, Accra which has culminated in the instant proceedings by way of an
appeal before this court. The basis for this action is that, Justice Annie
Jiagge had relied on two authorities in her judgment which were subsequently
overruled by the Supreme Court in the case of: NII ADOTEI ADOAKU
V. J.K NYAMALOR in Civil Appeal N014/62 delivered on 13/03/1963. It is
therefore the contention of the plaintiff that in view of the decision in the
above case overruling Justice Jiagge’s judgment, the said judgment (which was
not even appealed against) has no legal effect whatsoever and further the deed
of gift registered in the Lands Registry and the Land Title Certificate which
were all obtained after the judgment are null and void. The plaintiff also
pleaded fraud, which would be later addressed in this judgment.<o:p></o:p>The defendant, as expected, resisted the
plaintiff’s claim and pleaded inter</main>