T. T. NARTEY vs. GODWIN GATI [2010]DLSC4143

Date	2010-07-07
Suit No.	REFERENCE NO. J6/1/2010
Citation No.	[2010]DLSC4143

AKUFFO (MS) JSC (PRESIDING)

BROBBEY JSC

DR. DATE-BAH JSC

ANSAH JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

T.T. NARTEY REPRESENTING HIMSELF.

W. L. ANTHONIO FOR THE DEFENDANT

[2010]DLSC4143
																																						<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" >T. T. NARTEY<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>GODWIN GATI<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">

REFERENCE NO. J6/1/2010&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DATE: 7TH
JULY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>T.T.
NARTEY REPRESENTING HIMSELF.<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">

W. L. ANTHONIO FOR THE DEFENDANT<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:-9.0pt">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;tab-stops:45.0pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">AKUFFO
(MS) JSC (PRESIDING), BROBBEY JSC, DR. DATE-BAH JSC, ANSAH JSC, OWUSU (MS) JSC,
DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC,&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;AND GBADEGBE JSC&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><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">

RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>DR. DATE-BAH, JSC:-<o:p></o:p>This
is the unanimous ruling of the Court on this reference.<o:p></o:p>Introduction<o:p></o:p>His
Worship Ali Baba Abature, the Magistrate who has in this case made a reference
to this Court, has exhibited commendable legal awareness.&nbsp; This is the first reference that we are aware
of that has come from a Magistrate’s Court.&nbsp;
He is, of course, well within his rights, under article 130(2) of the
1992 Constitution, to refer to this court:<o:p></o:p>“(a) all matters relating to the enforcement or
interpretation of this Constitution; and<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; all
matters arising as to whether an enactment was made in excess of the powers
conferred on Parliament or any authority or person by law or under this
Constitution.”<o:p></o:p>The
context within which this Court will exercise its original jurisdiction,
whether by way of a reference or otherwise, was set out lucidly by Anin JA in
the locus classicus in Republic v Special Tribunal; Ex parte Akosah
[1980] GLR 592 at p. 604 as follows (in relation to the 1979 Constitution):<o:p></o:p>“From
the foregoing dicta, we would conclude that an issue of enforcement or
interpretation of a provision of the Constitution under article 118(1)(a)
arises in any of the following eventualities:<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
where the words of the provision are imprecise or
unclear or ambiguous.&nbsp; Put in another
way, it arises if one party invites the court to declare that the words of the
article have a double-meaning or are obscure or else mean something different
from or more than what they say;<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
where the rival
meanings have been placed by the litigants on the words of any provision of the
Constitution;<o:p></o:p>(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
where there is
a conflict in the meaning and effect of two or more articles of the
Constitution, and the question is raised as to which provision should prevail;<o:p></o:p>