MINING AND BUILDING CONTRACTORS LIMITED vs. ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA LIMITED [2016]DLSC2840

Date	2016-05-19
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J8/68/2016
Citation No.	[2016]DLSC2840

YAW APPAU JSC SITTING AS A SINGLE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COUR

NANA ATO- DADZIE ESQ. WITH HIM SMORA CANN FOR THE APPLICANT.

ACE ANAN ANKOMAH ESQ. WITH HIM KOW ESSUMAN ESQ. FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[2016]DLSC2840
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MINING AND BUILDING
CONTRACTORS LIMITED<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA
LIMITED<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. J8/68/2016&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE:
19TH MAY, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>NANA
ATO- DADZIE ESQ.&nbsp; WITH HIM SMORA CANN FOR
THE 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">

ACE ANAN ANKOMAH ESQ. WITH HIM KOW ESSUMAN
ESQ. FOR THE 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 1.0pt 0in">

YAW
APPAU JSC SITTING AS A SINGLE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COUR<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">&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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>APPAU,
JSC.<o:p></o:p>On
28th April 2016, I refused an application filed in this Court by the
plaintiff/respondent/applicant (hereinafter referred to simply as applicant),
for special leave to appeal to this Court against the judgment of the Court of
Appeal dated 17th Decmber, 2015. The application, which was filed on
21st March, 2016, was brought under article 131(2) of the
Constitution, 1992. &nbsp;I exercised that
jurisdiction as a single justice of the Supreme Court, vide article 134 of the
Constitution, 1992. The article in question provides:<o:p></o:p>“A single justice of the
Supreme Court may exercise power vested in the Supreme Court not involving the
decision of the cause or matter before the Supreme Court, except that – <o:p></o:p><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:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
in
criminal matters, where that justice refuses or grants an application in the
exercise of any such power, a person affected by it is entitled to have the
application determined by the Supreme Court constituted by three justices of
the Supreme Court; and<o:p></o:p><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:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
in
civil matters, any order, direction or decision made or given under this article
may be varied, discharged or reversed by the Supreme Court, constituted by
three justices of the Supreme Court.”<o:p></o:p>I
reserved the reasons that informed my decision and I now proceed to advance
same.<o:p></o:p>The
appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is provided under article 131 (1) and (2) of the Constitution, 1992. The article in question reads:<o:p></o:p>“131(1) An appeal shall
lie from a judgment of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court – <o:p></o:p><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:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
as
of right in a civil or criminal cause or matter in respect of which an appeal
has been brought to the Court of Appeal from a judgment of the High Court or a
Regional Tribunal in the exercise of its original jurisdiction; or<o:p></o:p>