CAPTAIN ROBERT MBA TINDANA vs. THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2011]DLSC4126

CAPTAIN ROBERT MBA TINDANA vs. THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, THE MINISTER OF DEFEN... [2011]DLSC4126

Date	2011-07-27
Suit No.	CIVIL MOTION NO. J7/4/2011
Citation No.	[2011]DLSC4126

BROBBEY (PRESIDING) JSC

ANSAH JSC

ADINYIRA (MRS.) JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

APPLICANT APPEARS IN PERSON

CECIL ADADEVOH SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY WITH MISS HELENA FRENCH ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY FOR ALL THE RESPONDENTS.

[2011]DLSC4126
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >CAPTAIN ROBERT MBA
TINDANA<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND THE
ATTORNEY-GENERAL<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 MOTION NO. J7/4/2011&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 27TH JULY, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>APPLICANT APPEARS IN
PERSON <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">

CECIL
ADADEVOH, SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY WITH MISS HELENA FRENCH, ASSISTANT STATE
ATTORNEY FOR ALL THE 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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

BROBBEY (PRESIDING) JSC, ANSAH JSC, ADINYIRA (MRS.)
JSC, OWUSU (MS) JSC, YEBOAH JSC, BONNIE JSC, AND 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">

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

</div>ANIN-YEBOAH
JSC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The applicant herein Captain Robert Mba Tindana was
a Military Officer commissioned into the Ghana Armed Forces in 1979.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Whilst on peace-keeping operations, he was alleged
to have done “an act to the prejudice of good order and discipline” contrary to
section 54 of the Armed Forces Act 1962, Act 105.&nbsp; The facts leading to his discharge from the
Armed Forces do not appear to be very necessary for the determination of this
application.&nbsp; &nbsp;Some time after his discharge,&nbsp; the applicant instituted proceedings at the
High Court (Fast Track Division) seeking several reliefs flowing from what he
alleged as breaches of the Armed Forces Act, 1962 Act 105 and violations of his
fundamental human rights.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The High Court, on 19/06/2007, dismissed the
applicant’s action on the basis that the action was caught by the Limitation
Act, NRCD 54 and the Transitional Provisions of the 1992 Constitution.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Naturally aggrieved by the decision, the applicant
lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal.&nbsp;
The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.&nbsp; The Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeal
was filed on the 16/11/2007.&nbsp; At the
Court of Appeal, the appeal was dismissed on the merits.&nbsp; The applicant lodged an appeal to the Supreme
Court.&nbsp; The Supreme Court after hearing
the parties, based on the written submissions of both counsel in the appeal
dismissed the appeal on the simple ground that the appeal from the High Court
judgment was filed out of time without any extension of time and therefore the
Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction to entertain the appeal from the High
Court.&nbsp; In the unanimous ruling of the Supreme
Court that was read by Justice Gbadegbe, the court &nbsp;pronounced on the competency of the appeal
that was determined by the Court of Appeal as follows: <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“The appeal which was filed after three months
period provided under rule 9 of the Court of Appeal Rules was plainly
incompetent resulting in the absence of jurisdiction in the Court of Appeal to
determine it. Consequently, the entire proceedings acquire the attribute of
nullity and same are hereby set aside”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The applicant, who is aggrieved by the dismissal of
his appeal, has now brought this application inviting this court to review its
decision by setting aside the judgment dismissing his appeal on several
grounds.&nbsp; For fuller record the grounds
for this application as set out as follows:<o:p></o:p>a)<sp</main>