KWASI OWUSU AND NII ACHIA FAMILY vs. JOSHUA NMAI ADDO AND EMMANUEL K. Q. PAPAFIO [2015]DLSC3216

Date	2015-07-30
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/50/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLSC3216

WOOD (MRS.) CJ PRESIDING

ANSAH JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BENIN JSC

BABA AVIO FOR THE APPELLANTS

NANA OFFEI DJAN FOR THE RESPONDENTS

[2015]DLSC3216
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWASI OWUSU AND NII
ACHIA FAMILY<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JOSHUA NMAI ADDO AND
EMMANUEL K. Q. PAPAFIO<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<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. J4/50/2014&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DATE: 30TH
JULY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>BABA
AVIO FOR THE APPELLANTS<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">

NANA
OFFEI DJAN FOR THE RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p>

WOOD
(MRS.) CJ PRESIDING, ANSAH JSC, DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, AND BENIN JSC<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>WOOD
(MRS.) CJ:-<o:p></o:p>On 5th
September 2012, the Fast Track Division of the High Court, Accra, delivered judgment
in favour of the Plaintiffs/Respondents (Respondents), inter alia, for declaration
of title to a parcel of land at Achiaman, near Amasaman, damages for trespass,
recovery of possession , and perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant/
Defendants/Appellants (Appellants) “their grantees, licensees, workmen,
servants, successors in title and privies whatsoever from entering, remaining
on or in any way encumbering the land or any part thereof or undertaking any
construction or other work thereon inconsistent with the absolute ownership,
possession and / or enjoyment” of the Respondents.”<o:p></o:p>Being dissatisfied with the decision, the Appellants promptly
lodged an appeal against it to the Court of Appeal. Their applications for stay
of execution of the said judgment to the trial High Court, and the subsequent
repeat application to the Court of Appeal, were however dismissed by the
respective courts. The 21st May, 2013 succinct ruling of the court
of Appeal which has culminated in this instant appeal reads:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“The grant or refusal of an
application for stay of execution is an equitable remedy and depends on the
discretion of the court. He who comes to equity must do to equity. From the
affidavit evidence and also from the annexures to these affidavits, it is clear
to us that the Applicants have not come to this court with clean hands. The
affidavit evidence before us show that the Applicants are currently facing
contempt proceedings for allegedly ignoring the judgment to(sic) the trial
court and the pendency of application for stay of execution and gone into the
land to perpetuate acts on the land. In the circumstances, we do not feel
disposed to granting the application. The application is accordingly
dismissed.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Appellants question the correctness of the said
ruling on grounds that: <o:p></o:p>1. “The Court of Appeal in exercising
its discretion drew wrong inferences from the facts in dismissing the
application for stay of execution pending appeal wherein occasioned a
miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>2. The Court of Appeal erred when it
took into consideration matters which were not properly before it in dismissing
the Defendants/Appellants application.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>3. The ruling is against the weight of
the affidavit evidence.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Judged in the light of the ruling complained of, these
three grounds of appeal are clearly so interrelated, they would, for prudential
reasons, be considered together. From that perspective, the central argument of
the Appellants as relevantly expressed in their statement of case may be
identified as the following:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“At the date of ruling on 21/5/2013
the said contempt proceedings were still pending before the High Court for
determination.&nbsp; The contempt application
against the Appellants was finally dismissed on 13/1/2014. This was after the
Appellants motion for stay of execution was dismissed on 21/5/2013 by the Cour</main>