[2012]DLCA8667 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;tab-stops:153.0pt 298.5pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;tab-stops:153.0pt 298.5pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri">(</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">RESPONDENT</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri">)</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">THE REGISTRAR, CIRCUIT COURT AGONA SWEDREU</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;mso-pagination:none"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">EX PARTE MOHAMMED MUSTAPHA</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;mso-pagination:none"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(APPLICANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt; mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;mso-pagination:none"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">PAUL GAYINA, SAMUEL ASABRE BOTCHWAY AND EDWARD ABOAGYE</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">(INTERESTED PARTIES/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri">[COURT OF APPEAL, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CAPE COAST</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri">]<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO. H1/134/2010</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> DATE: 17<sup>TH</sup> MAY, 2012<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">ENO AMAH ANDOH ESQ. FOR THE INTERESTED PARTY/APPELLANT<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="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">KOFI LAMPTEY ESQ FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">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="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">S.K.MARFUL-SAU J.A (PRESIDING), C.J.HONYENUGA J.A, DENNIS ADJEI J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri"><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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri">JUDGMENT</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">DENNIS ADJEI, J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">This is an appeal against the judgment by the High Court Cape Coast which was delivered on 11<sup>th</sup> January, 2010. In the said judgment the High Court Cape Coast quashed the ruling of the Circuit Court delivered on 9<sup>th</sup> February, 2009 on the ground that the Applicant/Respondent herein was denied a hearing by the said Circuit Court. The interested party appellant being aggrieved by the decision of the High Court appealed to this court on 22<sup>nd</sup> January, 2010 praying for an order to set aside the said judgment of the High Court.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">The grounds of appeal as contained in the Amended Notice of Appeal are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -36.0pt"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">“a. The judgment is against the weight of the evidence adduced before the learned trial Judge during the hearing of the application for judicial review.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -36.0pt"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">b. the learned trial Judge erred in law when he held that the striking out of the Applicant/Respondent’s Motion on Notice to strike out the entire action for want of jurisdiction at the Swedru Circuit Court on a date which was fixed at the instance of the Applicant/Respondent amounted to breach of the rules of natural justice and hence the entire action of the Swedru Circuit Court could be quashed by Certiorari.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -36.0pt"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">c. The learned trial Judge erred in law when he with all due respect to him overlooked that it was entirely within the jurisdiction of the trial Circuit Judge to strike out an Applicant’s Motion if the applicant fails to turn up in Court on the due date and fails to give any sufficient or satisfactory reason for his absence on that date.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -36.0pt"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">d. the learned trial Judge erred in law when he quashed the Orders of the Agona Swedru Circuit court dated 9<sup>th</sup> February, 2009 and further went ahead to quash the subsequent proceedings based on the