ASNETH GYABENG SERWAA vs. LORD WINNERS INVESTMENT LIMITED [2016]DLHC3767

Date	2016-06-06
Suit No.	SUIT NO.BFS/195/14
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC3767

ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

AKUA ADOMA ADDAE FOR WILLIAM KUSI FOR PLAINTIFF.

KWAME BOAFO FOR DEFENDANT

[2016]DLHC3767
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="OLE_LINK1">ASNETH
GYABENG SERWAA<o:p></o:p></a>vs.<o:p></o:p>LORD WINNERS INVESTMENT LIMITED<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL DIVISION), KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT NO.BFS/195/14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 6TH JUNE, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AKUA
ADOMA ADDAE FOR WILLIAM KUSI FOR PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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KWAME BOAFO FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>It
is provided under Order 32 Rule 7A (3) (b) of the High Court (Civil Procedure)
Rules, 2004, C.I. 47&nbsp; as amended by C.I.
87 as follows:<o:p></o:p>"
where&nbsp; a party has failed to comply with
any of the directions given at a case management conference or a pre-trial
review or both, the Judge may ...<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
strike out the defence and counterclaim as the case may &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; be, if the non complying party is a
defendant"<o:p></o:p>It
is further provided under Order 36 rule 1 (2) (a) of C.I. 47 that:<o:p></o:p>(2) Where
an action is called for trial and a party fails to attend, the trial Judge may <o:p></o:p>(a) where the
plaintiff attends and the defendant fails to attend, dismiss the counterclaim,
if any, and allow the plaintiff to prove the claim.<o:p></o:p>These rules have been applied to
the circumstances of this case. The plaintiff caused a writ of summons and
statement of claim to be issued from the registry of this court on 08/04/2014.
She sought to recover a liquidated sum of GHS 17,000.00, interest thereon as
well as general damages from the defendant.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The defendant filed a late defence on 09/06/14. It appears to me that
the non-compliance with Order 11 rule (2) (1) of C.I. 47&nbsp; was waived&nbsp;
by the court when the defendant brought it to the court's attention that
it was in the process of filing its late defence as can be seen from the court
notes of 03/06/2014.<o:p></o:p>Irrespective of that waiver, the
defendant failed to file its witness statement(s) as ordered by the court on
08/03/2016. Even though the defendant&nbsp;
and its counsel were not in court on the said date, an order was made
for the court notes (order) and a hearing notice to be served on counsel for the
defendant.&nbsp; Accordingly,&nbsp; these processes were served on counsel for
the defendant&nbsp; through&nbsp; his clerk by name Tina on 17/03/2016.&nbsp; Subsequent to that, the plaintiff's witness
statement and pre-trial check-list&nbsp;&nbsp; were
served on defendant's counsel on 21/03/2016 and 05/04/2016 respectively.<o:p></o:p>Notwithstanding the service of
these processes on counsel for the defendant, it turned out at the case
management conference held on 20/04/2016 that the defendant had failed to file
its witness statement. In compliance with the provisions in respect of the
filing of witness statements referred to above, the court duly struck out the
statement of defence filed by the defendant and a date was set for the
plaintiff to prove her claims.<o:p></o:p>