THE REPUBLIC vs. NATIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS EX-PARTE: NANA BARIMAH AND ANOTHER [2013]DLCA3115

Date	2013-01-24
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/77/2012
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA3115

JUSTICE AYEBI JA [PRESIDING]

JUSTICE IRENE C DANQUAH JA

JUSTICE ALHAJI TANKO AMADU JA

WILLIAM O.ODURO ESQR. FOR RESPONDENT/APPELLANT

TWUMASI AWUAH ESQR. FOR APPLICANT/RESPONDENT.

[2013]DLCA3115
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE
REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NATIONAL
HOUSE OF CHIEFS<o:p></o:p>EX-PARTE:&nbsp;&nbsp; NANA BARIMAH AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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. H1/77/2012&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;&nbsp;DATE: 24TH
JANUARY, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&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; <o:p></o:p>WILLIAM O.ODURO ESQR. FOR
RESPONDENT/APPELLANT<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">

TWUMASI
AWUAH ESQR. FOR APPLICANT/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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUSTICE
AYEBI
JA [PRESIDING], JUSTICE IRENE C DANQUAH JA, JUSTICE ALHAJI&nbsp; TANKO AMADU JA<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>AYEBI J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the ruling of the High Court, Kumasi delivered
on 27th May 2011.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Ruling
is in respect of the preliminary objection raised by the respondent/appellant
that the application for judicial review was filed out of time.<o:p></o:p>The basis of the application is as follows:<o:p></o:p>The applicant/respondent, Nana Barimah Antwi Boasiako II was installed
as chief of Adorbaa and registered in the Register of Chiefs by the
respondent/appellant in 1982 as Tufuohene of Duayaw Nkwanta Tradition
Area.&nbsp;&nbsp; The applicant/respondent of late
declared that he has seceded from the Duayaw Nkwanta Tradition Council.<o:p></o:p>The Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Council thereon submitted to the Brong
Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs a vacation form reporting the fact that
applicant/respondent had vacated his set as Adrobaahene and Tufuohene of the
Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Area.&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs upon receipt of the vacation forms also
recommended to the National House of Chiefs to expunge the name of the applicant/appellant
from the Registrar of Chiefs.&nbsp;&nbsp; On 5th
June 2008, the National House of Chiefs, the respondent/appellant herein,
expunged the name of the applicant/respondent from the Registrar of Chiefs on
grounds of secession.<o:p></o:p>The applicant/respondent contending that he has never been destooled as
chief of Adrobaa brought this application for judicial review because the
removal of his name from the Register of Chiefs was not in compliance with the
Chieftaincy Act, 1971(Act 370) and the Revised Standing Orders of both the
Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs as well as the respondent/appellant.&nbsp; Additional to that the respondent/appellant
denied him a hearing before it took the decision to expunge his name from the
Register.&nbsp;&nbsp; This application for judicial
review was filed on 28th January 2011.<o:p></o:p>The application was supported by an affidavit and a statement of
case.&nbsp;&nbsp; The appellant in her affidavit in
opposition admitted that she expunged the name of respondent from the register
and informed the respondent of that fact on 16/12/2008.&nbsp;&nbsp; In so expunging the name of the respondent
form the register, the appellant said she followed due process as outlined in
its Standing Orders.&nbsp;&nbsp; The appellant
thereon raised the legal point that the application was incompetent as it was
filed way out of time.<o:p></o:p>As it turned out the application was argued and determined on affidavit
evidence with the annexures attached.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Following the receipt of appellant’s affidavit in opposition, respondent
on 3/03/11 filed what is headed “Motion on Notice for Leave to Amend Grounds of
Application for Certiorari and Mandamus”.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The leave was granted on 8/02/11 and the application for leave to amend
the grounds of the substantive application for judicial review was moved on
17/03/2011.<o:p></o:p>A perusal of the affidavit in support of this motion for leave to amend
shows that the averments are rather a reply to the appellant’s affidavit in
opposition. It is only at the tail end of the affidavit that one ground was
added.&nbsp;&nbsp; Erroneously the appellant was compelled
to file another affidavit in opposition. &nbsp;&nbsp;In filing a reply to an affidavit in
opposition a party does not need leave of the court.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is an automatic right.&nbsp;&nbsp; The affidavit in support of the motion for
leave to amend the grounds of the application for judicial review will
therefore be struck at as it is at variance with the leave sought and granted.<o:p></o:p>