EMMANUEL C. PLANGE & OTHERS vs. GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK LTD. [2014]DLSC2847

Date	2014-12-17
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.J7/15/2014
Citation No.	[2014]DLSC2847

ADINYIRA (MRS) J.S.C. (PRESIDING)

DOTSE J.S.C.

YEBOAH J.S.C.

BAFFOE BONNIE J.S.C.

GBADEGBE J.S.C.

AKOTO BAMFO (MRS) J.S.C.

AKAMBA J.S.C.

KWEKU PAINTSIL ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/ RESPONDENTS/APPLICANTS.

THADEUS SORY ESQ. WITH HIM NANA SEKYIWAA FOR THE DEFENDANT /APPELLANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.

[2014]DLSC2847
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMMANUEL C. PLANGE &amp;
OTHERS<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK
LTD.<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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;
line-height:150%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL
APPEAL
NO.J7/15/2014&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 17TH DECEMBER, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>KWEKU PAINTSIL ESQ. FOR
THE&nbsp;&nbsp; PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/
RESPONDENTS/APPLICANTS.<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">

THADEUS
SORY ESQ. WITH HIM NANA SEKYIWAA FOR THE&nbsp;&nbsp;
DEFENDANT /APPELLANT/APPELLANT/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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:150%;mso-outline-level:1;
border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">ADINYIRA
(MRS) J.S.C.
(PRESIDING), DOTSE J.S.C., YEBOAH J.S.C., &nbsp;BAFFOE BONNIE J.S.C., GBADEGBE
J.S.C., AKOTO
BAMFO (MRS) J.S.C., AKAMBA J.S.C. <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;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>SOPHIA ADINYIRA(MRS.) JSC (PRESIDING):-<o:p></o:p>This application for a review of the judgment of the
ordinary bench of 21 May 2014 is brought by 10 out of the 511 former employees
of Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) in the consolidated cases, commenced on 28
October 2006 and 18 November 2006 respectively. The reliefs sought by the Plaintiffs
from their former employer were mainly for a declaration that they were
entitled to participate in and enjoy the benefits of the Special Pension Scheme
set up by the Defendant for the benefit of its employees; and an order for specific performance
directed at the Defendant to compute and pay to the Plaintiffs their pension
benefits under the said scheme with interest thereon to date of final payment.
The Defendant resisted the claim on the grounds that the pension scheme was
abrogated in December 1990 and since the Plaintiffs alleged rights accrued upon
their respective dates of retirement their action was statute barred.<o:p></o:p>The High Court held that the abrogation of the pension
scheme in December 1990 was null and void and of no legal effect as it was done
without the permission of the Commissioner
as required by section 24 of the Social Security Act, NRCD 127; [repealed] and
consequently the pension scheme continued to be in existence. The High Court entered
judgment for the Plaintiffs. And the Court of Appeal affirmed this judgment.<o:p></o:p>On appeal before
the ordinary bench of the Supreme Court, the main issue was whether the
Defendant had the power to terminate the private pension scheme without
reference to the Commissioner. On 21 May 2014, the ordinary bench of the Supreme Court
reversed the finding of the High Court by holding that Section 24 (5) of the
Social Security Act, NRCD 127 was inapplicable to the situation where an
employer voluntarily decided to wind up its own private scheme. Accordingly the
Court held that the winding up of the Scheme by the Defendant was not in
contravention &nbsp;of &nbsp;NRCD 127. The Court however held the
abrogation of the pension scheme by the Defendant was a breach of a term of
contract of employment. <o:p></o:p>On the liability
of GCB the ordinary panel held that it is only the category of staff members who
were on retirement before the abrogation of the scheme on 31 December 1990 (and
satisfied the conditions set in rule 3 of the regulations of the Special
Pension Scheme) that were entitled or competent to a claim for specific
performance. Further, by virtue of section 24 of the Limitation Decree such
claim is not statute barred. <o:p></o:p>