PROFESSOR STEPHEN KWAKU ASARE vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2012]DLSC2681

Date	2012-05-22
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/6/2011
Citation No.	[2012]DLSC2681

ATUGUBA AG. CJ (PRESIDING)

AKUFFO (MS) JSC

BROBBEY JSC

DR. DATE-BAH JSC

ANSAH JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

BAMFO (MRS) JSC

PROFESSOR BONDZI-SIMPSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

SYLVESTER WILLIAMS (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[2012]DLSC2681
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;
mso-fareast-language:#0C00">PROFESSOR STEPHEN KWAKU ASARE<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;
mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;
mso-fareast-language:#0C00">THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/6/2011&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;DATE:&nbsp;22ND&nbsp;MAY,
2012<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">PROFESSOR
BONDZI-SIMPSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;">SYLVESTER WILLIAMS (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY)
FOR THE DEFENDANT.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&nbsp;&nbsp;CORAM:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">ATUGUBA
AG. CJ (PRESIDING), AKUFFO (MS) JSC, BROBBEY JSC, DR. DATE-BAH JSC, ANSAH JSC,
OWUSU (MS) JSC, YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, BAMFO (MRS) JSC<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: 1.5pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">ATUGUBA,
J.S.C:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">In modern times the courts
have shed much of their conservatism in the construction of statutes. The
purposive rule of construction is now the dominant rule for the construction of
statutes. This in effect gives reality a triumph over dogmatic theories of law.
However the ascertainment of the true purpose of a statute has to be watched so
as to prevent conjectures of all sorts having an undue sway on the construction
of statutes. In this connection certain rules of construction of statutes
should now gain more weight than they had before. Some of them are, that, as
Taylor JSC said in&nbsp;Mekkaoui v. Minister of Internal Affairs&nbsp;(1981)
GLR 664 S.C.&nbsp; at 719: “I believe it is now trite law and there is no need
to cite any authority to support it, that in all statutes,&nbsp;the
legislature or the lawgiver is presumed to have legislated with reference to
the existing state of the law.”&nbsp; Very similar to this view is the view
that the context of the statute inclusive of its surrounding circumstances are
relevant matters to its proper construction – per Lord Simmonds in&nbsp;Attorney-General
v. Ernest Augustus (Prince) of Hanover&nbsp;(1957) AC 436 at 461 H.L.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Happily all this has been&nbsp;captured by the Memorandum to the
Interpretation Act, 2009 (Act 792)&nbsp;as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt 72pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“The general rules for the construction or interpretation used by the
Courts were formulated by the Judges and not enacted by Parliament. From the
Mischief Rule enunciated in&nbsp;Heydon’s Case&nbsp;[1584 3 Co Rep. E.R.
637] to the Literal Rule enunciated in the&nbsp;Sussex Peerage Case&nbsp;[(1844)
11 Co &amp; F 85; E.R. 1034], to the Golden Rule enunciated in&nbsp;Grey v.
Pearson&nbsp;[(1857) 6 H.L. C. 61; 10 E.R. 1216]&nbsp;the courts in the
Commonwealth have now moved to the Purposive Approach to </main>