MARTIN KPEBU vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2016]DLSC11086

Date	2016-05-05
Suit No.	WRIT NO.J1/13/2015
Citation No.	[2016]DLSC11086

WOOD CJ (MRS) PRESIDING

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

BENIN JSC

AKAMBA JSC

BRIGHT OBENG MANU ESQ FOR THE PLAINTIFF

WILLIAM KPOBI ESQ. CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT

[2016]DLSC11086
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARTIN KPEBU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>BRIGHT OBENG MANU
ESQ FOR THE PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">WILLIAM
KPOBI ESQ. CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>WOOD CJ (MRS) PRESIDING, ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC, DOTSE JSC,
YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, BENIN JSC, AKAMBA JSC<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;BENIN,
JSC<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff herein seeks a single relief from this court, namely: A declaration that section 96(7) of the
Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30) as amended by the
Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 2002, (Act 633) contravenes Articles
15(2) and 19(2)(c) of the 1992 Constitution and is therefore null, void and of
no effect.<o:p></o:p>In
order to appreciate the ensuing discussion, it is necessary at this early stage
to set out the relevant provisions of Act 30 as amended, as well as the Constitution,
1992 upon which this action is founded. Section 96(7) of Act 30 as amended by
Section 7 of Act 633 and also as amended by section 41(1)(a) of the
Anti-Terrorism Act, 2008 (Act 762) reads:<o:p></o:p>A
court shall refuse to grant bail-<o:p></o:p>(a)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp; in a case of treason, subversion,
murder, robbery, hijacking, piracy, rape and defilement or escape from lawful
custody , or acts of terrorism; <o:p></o:p>(b)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp; where a person is being held for
extradition to a foreign country.
<o:p></o:p>The
relevant provisions of the Constitution read:<o:p></o:p>Article
15(2): No person shall, whether or not he is arrested, restricted or detained,
be subjected to <o:p></o:p>(a)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp; torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment;<o:p></o:p>(b)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;