[2011]DLSC6430 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">NANA YAW NKETSIA VI<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">(</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">PETITIONER/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT<b>)<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:center 3.25in left 402.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">DR. FIIFI QUAYSON<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:115%;tab-stops:center 3.25in left 402.0pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(RESPONDENT/APPELLANT/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:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CHIEFTAINCY APPEAL SUIT NO: J2/7/2010</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> <b> </b> DATE<b>: </b>1ST JUNE, 2011<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">ELIZABETH OFOSU AGYARE (WITH HER CYNTHIA OPARE) FOR THE APPELLANT J.A. DAWSON (WITH HIM D.A. OTOO) FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ATUGUBA, JSC (PRESIDING) ANSAH, JSC OWUSU (MS), JSC GBADEGBE, JSC AKOTO-AND BAMFO (MRS), JSC<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">GBADEGBE JSC <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">We have before us in these proceedings an appeal from the decision of the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs of 29 July 2009 that dismissed an appeal in the matter herein from the judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Western Region House of Chiefs. By its decision the National House of Chiefs affirmed the judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Western Region House of Chiefs which had allowed an appeal from the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Ahanta Traditional Council in the matter herein. In the action before the Ahanta Traditional Council, the appellant sued in his capacity as the divisional Chief of Takoradi against the respondent claiming reliefs that are in their nature causes affecting chieftaincy. The reliefs claimed in the action herein by the appellant against the respondent are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:2.25pt; line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"">(a) A declaration that the Defendant’s purported nomination, election and installation as chief is null and void and of no effect. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:2.25pt; line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"">(b) A declaration that the defendant is not the chief of new Takoradi, Takoradi or of any place. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:2.25pt; line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"">(c) A perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from acting or holding himself out as the Chief of New Takoradi, Takoradi or of any place within the jurisdiction of the Ahanta Traditional Area.<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:"Book Antiqua","serif""> In compliance with the practice and procedure of chieftaincy tribunals, the appellant filed a statement of case, which spelt out the facts on which he relied to sustain the action against the respondent. Upon service on the latter of the processes that initiated the action before the traditional council; he also filed his response to the claim against him and counterclaimed for the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(a) A declaration that the purported nomination, election and installation of the plaintiff as the chief of Takoradi or Takoradi New Takoradi is null and void and of no effect, he not hailing from the Akona Royal family of Takoradi. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(b) The plaintiff should be perpetually restrained from acting or holding himself out as the Divisional Chief of Takoradi or the chief of New Takoradi or the Chief of any town, village or place within Takoradi Division of the Ahanta Traditional Area. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(c) The Defendant is the duly nominated, elected and installed Divisional Chief of Takoradi with the stool name Osahene Katakyi Busumakura III <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:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The matter proceeded to a trial that was determined in favour of the appellant against the respondent. In its judgment, the Judicial Committee of the Ahanta Traditional Council was of the view that the position of chief was one that was available to two royal houses and rotational. As a result of this, the panel concluded that the previous occupant of the Akona stool having come from the line of the respondents, the successor must come from the other line- that of the appellants. In its delivery that is contained at pages 47-50 0f the record of proceedings, the panel at page 50 pronounced as follows. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">"The Committee is therefore of the opinion that since Nana Busumakura II, was the incumbent chief of Takoradi from the AMOA EKUA’s section of the family and died as the reigning chief, it is now the turn of ADWOA AMOANU’s section of the family to elect and install a chief of Takoradi. Judgment is therefore entered in favour of the Plaintiff."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> Following the delivery of the said judgment, the respondents lodged an appeal to the Western Region House of Chiefs. After hearing the parties, the Judicial Committee in its judgment came to a different conclusion on the proven facts and in particular allowed the appeal that was lodged before it by the respondents. By the said judgment, the installation of the respondent which the appellant called in question by his action before the Ahanta Traditional Council was confirmed. As a result of the said decision, the appellant herein filed an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs which in its judgment of the 29th July 2009 dismissed his appeal and affirmed the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Western Region House of Chiefs. The instant proceedings arise before us by virtue of an appeal therefrom by the appellant who seeks a reversal of the decision in his favour. <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:"Book Antiqua","serif"">It is observed that