ELSIE EWURA BENA KESSIE (PETITIONER) vs. NANA AGYEKUM KESSIE (RESPONDENT) [2011]DLHC7496

Date	2011-12-06
Suit No.	SUIT NO. BMISC. 877/11
Citation No.	[2011]DLHC7496

HIS LORDSHIP THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE E. F. DZAKPASU

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2011]DLHC7496</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;color:#00B0F0">ELSIE EWURA BENA KESSIE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">(PETITIONER)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" 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;,serif;
color:#00B0F0">NANA AGYEKUM KESSIE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center;
line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">SUIT
NO. BMISC. 877/11&nbsp; </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 6<sup>TH</sup> DECEMBER, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">HIS
LORDSHIP THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE E. F. DZAKPASU<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</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;,serif">This
is an application to set aside the registration of a foreign judgment. The
applicant comes under Order 71, rule 9. <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;,serif">On
the 29/12/09, the Croydon County Court made a final Order with respect to
Matrimonial Proceedings between the parties herein. As judgments from the
County Courts in the United Kingdom are not registrable under the laws
governing the reciprocal enforcement of Judgments between the U.K and Ghana,
the High Court of Justice (Family Division) in London, upon an application by
the Respondent herein (Petitioner therein) affirmed the Orders of the Croydon
County Court on 24/3/11 for purposes of its registration in Ghana. And on the
10/8/11, the High Court in Accra on motion ex-parte, directed that the judgment
of the County Court as registered in the High Court, London be entered and
registered in Ghana's Register of Foreign Judgments. It is this order for
registration that this instant application protests. <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;,serif">The
Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459) provides in its Sections 82 and 83 for the
Registration of Judgments and Setting Aside of registered judgments
respectively. It is not in dispute in this application that under Section 81 of
Act 459, recognition is extended exclusively to judgments given in the Superior
Courts of accredited foreign countries, including the United Kingdom (U.K.). In
my considered opinion, the subsequent transmission of the judgment and Orders
of the Croydon County Court, an inferior court to the High Court of London for
adoption and/or registration does not make the adopting High Court the trial
Court in the matrimonial matter between the parties. To bless the subsequent
adoption of the judgment and orders of the County Court as the judgment and
orders of the High Court of England for the sole purpose of its registration in
Ghana (as the judgment of a Superior Court of England) is to circumvent and or
contravene the laws of this Country, to wit, Section 81 of the Courts Act 459.
This breach is fundamental to the application before me and outweighs the other
matters of fraud addressed in the application. <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;,serif">I
therefore in consequence grant the application and set aside the registration
of the judgment in the matter. Cost of GH¢1,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></p></span></main>