THE REPUBLIC vs. NII OBODAI ADDAI IV EX PARTE: LA DADEKOTOPON YOUTH ASSOCIATION [2016]DLHC4020

Date	2016-12-14
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CR/817/2016
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC4020

JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

MS. LAWRENCIA ADIKA FOR APPLICANT

MR. AMON KOTEI FOR RESPONDENT

[2016]DLHC4020
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NII OBODAI ADDAI IV EX PARTE:&nbsp; LA DADEKOTOPON YOUTH ASSOCIATION<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">[HIGH COURT (GENERAL JURISDICTION
DIVISION, COURT 6) 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">

SUIT
NO: CR/817/2016&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">14TH DECEMBER, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&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>MS. LAWRENCIA ADIKA FOR APPLICANT <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">

MR.
AMON KOTEI FOR 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;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO<o:p></o:p>

</div><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>APPLICATION
FOR COMMITTAL FOR CONTEMPT<o:p></o:p>Introduction:<o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The power of the High Court to punish
for contempt is provided in Articles 19(12) and 126 of the 1992 Republican
Constitution of Ghana, and re-enacted in S 36 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459)
as amended; S10 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Order 50 of the
High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47).&nbsp; Order 50 of CI 47 sets the parameters by
which an Applicant may move the court for an order for an attachment for
contempt of court.<o:p></o:p>[2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is instructive to note that Article 19 Clause 11 of the 1992
Constitution provides that no person shall be convicted of a criminal
offence unless the offence is defined and the penalty for it is prescribed in a
written law.&nbsp; However, the same
Constitution, Article 19(12)
empowers the court to punish for contempt notwithstanding that the act or
omission constituting it is not defined in a written law and the penalty
thereof not so prescribed. <o:p></o:p>[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Further, it is instructive to observe
that there is no codified legislation in Ghana that defines the act or omission
that constitute the offence of contempt. It therefore sounds to reason that
Ghanaian courts resort to case law to resolve any issue regarding contempt when
confronted with one.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>And so what constitutes
contempt in Ghana?<o:p></o:p>[4]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In R
v Sito I; Ex Parte Fordjour (2001-2002) SCGLR 322 the Supreme
Court&nbsp;&nbsp; gave the elements constituting
the offence of contempt as that:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
there should have been a judgment or order
which required<o:p></o:p>the contemnor to do or abstain from doing
something;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;the
contemnor knew what precisely he was expected to do<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;or
abstain from doing;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;that
he failed to comply with the terms of that</main>