WESTCHESTER RESOURCE LTD. vs. CAML GHANA LTD & 6 ORS. [2012]DLHC8148

Date	2012-11-27
Suit No.	SUIT NO. ACI49/2012
Citation No.	[2012]DLHC8148

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DENNIS D. ADJEI JUSTICE OF APPEAL

OPOKU ADJAYE ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT

ACE ANNAN ANKOMAH ESQ. WITH HIM PAUL ESSUMAN ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT.

[2012]DLHC8148
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >WESTCHESTER
RESOURCE LTD.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" 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>CAML GHANA LTD
&amp; 6 ORS.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. ACI49/2012&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; &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
NOVEMBER, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>OPOKU
ADJAYE ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

ACE
ANNAN ANKOMAH ESQ. WITH HIM PAUL ESSUMAN ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT.<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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE DENNIS D. ADJEI, JUSTICE OF APPEAL, SITTING AS AN ADDITIONAL
HIGH COURT JUDGE<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>DENNIS
ADJEI, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>On
15th December, 2011, the plaintiff instituted this action against
the defendants jointly and severally for the eleven (11) reliefs endorsed on
the writ of summons.&nbsp; The defendants were
served with the writ of summons and the statement of claim by substituted service.&nbsp; The defendants entered conditional appearance
and pursuant to that filed a motion to set aside the writ of summons under Order 9 Rule 3 of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules C.I. 47.<o:p></o:p>On
26th March, 2012, the 1st defendant filed a motion to stay
proceedings pending Arbitration under section 6 of the Alternative Dispute
Resolution Act, 2010 Act 798.&nbsp; The
plaintiff filed an affidavit in opposition to the application but when the
application came on for hearing, on 18th April, 2012, the plaintiff
said it was no more opposed to the application and the application was
accordingly granted as prayed.<o:p></o:p>On
16th July, 2012, the plaintiff filed the instant application to set
aside the Order for stay of proceedings which was granted on 18th
April, 2012.&nbsp; The three main grounds
raised by the plaintiff are as follows:<o:p></o:p>1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
At the time the Joint
Venture Agreement was executed, the enactment in force at that time was the
Arbitration Act of, 1961, Act 38 and it did not avert its mind to it else it
would not have withdrawn its opposition to the motion.<o:p></o:p>2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The United Kingdom is not recognized
or declared by the President of the Republic of Ghana as a reciprocating party
to the UN Convention and London being the forum for the LCIA, arbitration would
render any award emanating therefrom not enforceable and<o:p></o:p>3.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The plaintiff pleaded fraud
in its statement of claim and any suit in which fraud is pleaded and
particularized cannot be a subject matter of arbitration.<o:p></o:p>