ERNEST ADOFO & ORS. vs. GHANA COCOA BOARD [2013]DLSC2772

Date	2013-03-15
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J6/01/2012
Citation No.	[2013]DLSC2772

ATUGUBA J.S.C (PRESIDING)

DR. DATE-BAH J.S.C

ANSAH J.S.C

ADINYIRA (MRS) J.S.C

DOTSE J.S.C

ANIN YEBOAH J.S.C

BAFFOE- BONNIE J.S.C.

GBADEGBE J.S.C

AKOTO-BAMFO(MRS) J.S.C

PETER HAYIBOR AND S. K. KLAYSON FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.

AKWASI OPOKU FOR THE DEFENDANT

[2013]DLSC2772
																																						<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" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" 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-fareast-language:
#0C00">ERNEST ADOFO &amp; ORS.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" 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-fareast-language:
#0C00">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" 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-fareast-language:
#0C00">GHANA COCOA BOARD<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; 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: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 20.25pt; 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.
J6/01/2012&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;DATE:&nbsp;15TH&nbsp;MARCH, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">PETER HAYIBOR AND S. K. KLAYSON FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS.<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; line-height: 20.25pt; 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;">AKWASI
OPOKU FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">CORAM:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 20.25pt; 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 (PRESIDING), DR. DATE-BAH
J.S.C, ANSAH J.S.C, ADINYIRA (MRS) J.S.C, DOTSE J.S.C, ANIN YEBOAH J.S.C,
BAFFOE- BONNIE J.S.C., GBADEGBE J.S.C, AKOTO-BAMFO(MRS) J.S.C<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: 20.25pt; 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;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">DATE-BAH
JSC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Asuman-Adu J. has, pursuant
to Article 130 of the 1992 Constitution, referred the following issue to the
Supreme Court for determination:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“Whether in view of Articles 1(2), 12(1) and 24(3) and (4) of the 1992
Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the application of&nbsp; PNDC Law 125 of
1985 to the retrenchment exercise in 1993 to 1994 by the&nbsp; defendant was
unconstitutional and for that matter void”.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">On 5th&nbsp;March, 2013, this Court
unanimously answered this question in the affirmative and indicated that its
reasons for this decision would be filed later.&nbsp; Accordingly, there is set
out below the said reasons.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 20.25pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The context for the
determination of the issue referred is as follows.&nbsp; The issue statedby the
learned High Court judge has arisen from two consolidated suits involving
former employees of the Ghana Cocoa Board.&nbsp; The plaintiffs in one of the
suits have claimed the following relief: