THE ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. BALKAN ENERGY GHANA LTD, BALKAN ENERGY LLC AND MR. PHILIP DAVID ELDERS [2012]DLSC2685

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. BALKAN ENERGY GHANA LTD, BALKAN ENERGY LLC AND MR. PHIL... [2012]DLSC2685

Date	2012-05-16
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J6/1/2012
Citation No.	[2012]DLSC2685

ATUGUBA AG. CJ (PRESIDING)

DR. DATE-BAH JSC

ANSAH JSC

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC

YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

BAMFO (MRS) JSC

HON. BENJAMIN KUMBUOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL (WITH HIM MRS. GRACE EWOOL) FOR THE PLAINTIFF

ACE ANKOMAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS.

NANA ATO DADZIE AS AMICUS CURIAE.

[2012]DLSC2685
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE ATTORNEY GENERAL<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>BALKAN
ENERGY GHANA LTD, BALKAN ENERGY LLC AND MR. PHILIP DAVID ELDERS<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 APPEAL NO. J6/1/2012&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 16TH MAY, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HON. BENJAMIN KUMBUOR,
ATTORNEY-GENERAL (WITH HIM MRS. GRACE EWOOL) FOR THE PLAINTIFF <o:p></o:p>ACE ANKOMAH FOR THE
DEFENDANTS.<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">

NANA
ATO DADZIE AS AMICUS CURIAE.<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">

ATUGUBA AG. CJ (PRESIDING), DR. DATE-BAH JSC,
ANSAH JSC, ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC, YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, BAMFO (MRS) 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">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>DR. DATE-BAH JSC:<o:p></o:p>The
task of this Court in this case is to interpret the phrase or term
“international business or economic transaction to which the Government is a
party” as it is used in article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution.&nbsp; The responsibility to interpret this phrase
has arisen as a result of this Court deciding to refer to itself constitutional
issues that had arisen in proceedings before the High Court (Commercial
Division).&nbsp; The learned High Court judge
refused an application from the plaintiff to refer the said constitutional
issues to this court.&nbsp; The plaintiff
accordingly invoked our supervisory jurisdiction to quash the decision of the
learned High Court judge not to refer the issues to this Court.&nbsp; This Court, in a unanimous ruling delivered
on 2nd November, 2011, quashed the decision of the High Court judge
not to refer the constitutional issues.&nbsp;
To avoid a multiplicity of suits and to save time, this Court decided to
exercise the powers of the High Court, which it has under Article 129(4) of the
Constitution, to refer the following questions to this Court:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
“Whether or not the Power Purchase Agreement
dated 27th July 2007 between the Government of Ghana and Balkan
Energy (Ghana) Limited constitutes an international business transaction within
the meaning of Article 181(5) of the Constitution.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Whether
or not the arbitration provisions contained in clause 22.2 of the Power
Purchase Agreement dated 27th July 2007 between the Government of
Ghana and Balkan Energy (Ghana) Limited constitutes an international business
transaction within the meaning of Article 181(5) of the Constitution”.<o:p></o:p>The reference
itself is, of course, made under article 130(2) of the Constitution.&nbsp; Article 130 provides as follows:<o:p></o:p>“(1) Subject to
the jurisdiction of the High Court in the enforcement of the Fundamental Human
Rights and Freedoms as provided in article 33 of this Constitution, the Supreme
Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in -<o:p></o:p>(a) all matters
relating to the enforcement or interpretation of this Constitution; and<o:p></o:p>(b) all matters
arising as to whether an enactment was made in excess of the powers conferred
on Parliament or any other authority or person by law or under this
Constitution.<o:p></o:p>(2) Where an
issue that relates to a matter or question referred to in clause (1) of this
article arises in any proceedings in a court other than the Supreme Court, that
court shall stay the proceedings and refer the question of law involved to the
Supreme Court for determination; and the court in which the question arose
shall dispose of the case in accordance with the decision of the Supreme
Court.”<o:p></o:p>Article 181 of the Constitution, within which
the phrase to be interpreted is located, reads in part, as </main>