NII AMAAKWAFIO vs GOLDEN EXOTIC [2013]DLHC16724

Date	2013-07-31
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FAL/779/13
Citation No.	[2013]DLHC16724

HIS LORDSHIP MR JUSTICE OP. BRIGHT MENSAH

NANCY DAKWA AMPOFO

[2013]DLHC16724
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">NII AMAAKWAFIO<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
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;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>

</div>

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">NANCY DAKWA
AMPOFO FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">NO
APPEARANCE FOR AND ON BEHALF OF PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HIS LORDSHIP MR
JUSTICE OP. BRIGHT MENSAH<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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;">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;ON CAPACITY OF A LAWYER TO
INITIATE A SUIT<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;

Before
me this morning is a “Motion to dismiss suit as being incompetent” on the
premise that Lawyer Nkrabea Effah Darteh who issued the instant writ does not
have a practicing licence and also that the Chambers from which he practices his
law has not been registered with or by the General Legal Council.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;

It
needs emphasizing that although Lawyer Effah Darteh was aware of the pendency
of this instant application and at his request, the case was adjourned on
17/07/13 (the return date on the motion) to 25/07/13 for hearing, for
unexplained reason he chose to stay away from the court proceedings on the said
25/07/13.&nbsp; But the court heard the
application, nevertheless.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;

In
moving the application, learned Counsel for the defendant/applicant submitted
quite forcefully that a search result by the General Legal Council Committee on
Solicitors Licence &amp; Registration of Chambers has revealed that Lawyer
Nkrabeah Effah Dartey does not have a practicing Solicitor’s licence for the
year, 2013.&nbsp; Additionally, it was argued,
Nkrabeah &amp; Associates from which he practices his law, has not been
registered with the General Legal Council as a firm of Law Chambers for the
year, 2013.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;

Having
referred the court to the statute governing legal practice in our jurisdiction
namely, the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32) S. 8(1) and Order 75 r 5 of CI
47 and also relying on the Supreme Court decision in GAISIE ZWENNES HUGHES
&amp; CO. v LODERS CROCKLAAN BV (2012) 1 SCGLR 363 learned Counsel contended
quite strongly that by reason that Lawyer Effah Darteh did not have practicing
licence for the current year nor his chambers registered for the same reason,
it rendered the instant writ a nullity.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;

Arguing
further, Counsel emphasized that S.8(1) of Act 32 is a mandatory requirement,
such that a person can only practice as a lawyer when he has obtained a licence
which has a life span of between January and December each year.&nbsp; She likened it to a driving licence or a
roadworthy certificate which shall be renewed each year otherwise the driver
may be fixed with driving without licence or road-worthy certificate.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;