KWAKU FRIMPONG @ IBOMAN vs. THE REPUBLIC [2015]DLSC3256

Date	2015-11-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J8A/8/2015
Citation No.	[2015]DLSC3256

G. PWAMANG J.S.C. SITTING AS A SINGLE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT

APPLICANT FOR HIMSELF.

WILLIAM KPOBI ESQ. CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC

[2015]DLSC3256
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWAKU FRIMPONG @ IBOMAN<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. J8A/8/2015&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: 18TH NOVEMBER, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>APPLICANT
FOR HIMSELF.&nbsp; <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">

WILLIAM
KPOBI ESQ. CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

G.
PWAMANG J.S.C. SITTING AS A SINGLE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT&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;&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;<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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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>The
applicant and three (3) other accomplices were convicted by the High Court,
Accra on the 26th of August 2006 for the offences of conspiracy to
commit robbery and robbery and were sentenced to 65 years each In Hard Labour
(IHL).<o:p></o:p>Applicant
herein appealed to the Court of Appeal which on the 23rd Day of October 2008
dismissed his appeal against conviction and sentence.&nbsp; He further appealed to the Supreme Court and
on the 18/1/2012 the court dismissed his appeal against conviction but reduced his
sentence to 40 years IHL to run from the date of arrest which was 2002.<o:p></o:p>This
present application was filed on the 5/8/2015 by the applicant in person; not
acting through a lawyer.&nbsp; He described
the application in the motion paper as follows:&nbsp;
“Motion on notice for leave to appeal for review”.&nbsp; When one considers the substance of the
motion, it is essentially an application for extension of time to apply for a
review of the decision of the regular panel of this court which gave its
decision on the 18/1/12.&nbsp; So I shall
consider the application as one for extension of time.<o:p></o:p>Rule
55 of the Supreme Court Rules 1996 (CI 16) provides as follows:&nbsp; “An
Application for review shall be filed at the registry of the court not later
than one month from the date of the decision sought to be reviewed.”<o:p></o:p>Rule
60 of CI 16 provides as follows: “Any of
the time limits specified in this part may on application be extended or
abridged by the court.” <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Rule 60 of CI 16 does not set a time limit
within which an application for extension of time to apply for a review of a decision
of the court may be filed.&nbsp; It is unlike
rule 8(4) of CI 16 on civil appeal and rule 66 on the supervisory decision of
the court which both set time limit for application for extension of time.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Nevertheless
I am being called upon by the applicant to exercise a discretion in his favour
and extend time for him.&nbsp; Though the
state has been served with the application and with a number of hearing notices
nothing has been filed on behalf of the Attorney General.&nbsp; That notwithstanding I am required to
consider the grounds of the application as contained in the affidavit in
support of the motion to determine whether a proper case has been made for time
to be extended.<o:p></o:p>In
the case of Botchway Vrs. Appiah [2003/04]
SCGLR 137, Adade JSC stated as follows at page 139; “If an extension of
time should be sought, it must be for sound and convincing reasons sufficient
to induce the court to sympathise with the applicant and exercise its
discretion in his favour.&nbsp; It is not
enough merely to say &nbsp;“I have delayed, I want an extension of
time.””<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; It is a settled principle of law that where a
statute allows a party to apply for extension of time within which to take a
step in proceedings but it does not set a time limit within which the
application may be brought, a party deciding to apply for extension of time
must nonetheless make the application timeously.&nbsp; In addition, the applicant has to give
substantial and credible reasons for failing to take the step within the time
as set by the statute.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In
the instant case the application has been brought after three y</main>