VOLTA RIVER AUTHORITY vs. BENEDICT ATTA FYNN [2015]DLCA4780

Date	2015-07-28
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL: NO: H1/37/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA4780

E. K. AYEBI (PRESIDING) JA

IRENE C. LARBI (MRS.) JA

ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) J

[2015]DLCA4780
																																						<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="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">VOLTA RIVER AUTHORITY<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in">(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in">BENEDICT ATTA FYNN<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in">[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">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:.5in;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL APPEAL: NO:
H1/37/2014&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;TUESDAY, 28TH JULY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in">CORAM:<o:p></o:p>E. K. AYEBI (PRESIDING) JA, IRENE C. LARBI (MRS.)
JA, ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) J<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:center;text-indent:-.5in;tab-stops:27.0pt .5in;border:none;
mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AYEBI,
J.A:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
This is an appeal against the ruling of a
Sunyani High Court dated 18th February, 2013.&nbsp; The issue which the trial judge determined in
that ruling is whether or not the plaintiff/respondent (hereinafter called
plaintiff) was estopped from mounting this action against the defendant/appellant
(hereinafter called the defendant).&nbsp; It
was raised as a preliminary legal issue and argued by the parties.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The background to the issue and for that
matter the claim of the plaintiff is that on 17th July 2008,
defendant dismissed the plaintiff as its employee.&nbsp; The plaintiff petitioned Commission for Human
Rights and Administrative Justice for redress.&nbsp;
The plaintiff discontinued the petition in order to apply for an order
of certiorari to quash his dismissal by way of judicial review.&nbsp; But by then he was out of time to file the
application directly.&nbsp; So plaintiff
applied for extension of time within which to file the judicial review
application.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The High Court presided over by Ato Assan J
(since retired) granted the application for extension of time.&nbsp; Dissatisfied with the grant of the extension
of time to file an application for judicial review to quash the dismissal of
the plaintiff, the defendant appealed to the Court of Appeal against the
grant.&nbsp; On 30/03/12, the Court of Appeal
upheld the appeal and set aside the order extending time for the plaintiff to
file an application for judicial review.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
While in the employment of the defendant,
the plaintiff was allocated H/No. P70 Tansuom Estate, Sunyani as his duty post
bungalow.&nbsp; The plaintiff continued to
occupy the bungalow even after his dismissal despite the defendant’s request to
him to vacate it.&nbsp; So on 20/04/11 and
before the Court of Appeal could determine the defendant’s appeal against the
grant of extension of time to the plaintiff, the defendant issued a writ in
Suit No. C1/127/2011 against the plaintiff and claimed amongst others
declaration of title to the bungalow and an order of immediate ejectment
against the plaintiff and perpetually restraining him and his privies from ever
possessing or interfering with the house in anyway.<o:p></o:p>5.