HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE PAUL UUTER DERY. vs. TIGER EYE P. I. AND THE HONOURABLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL [2016]DLSC2876

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE PAUL UUTER DERY. vs. TIGER EYE P. I. AND THE HONOURABLE CHI... [2016]DLSC2876

Date	2016-02-04
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/29/2015
Citation No.	[2016]DLSC2876

ANSAH JSC (PRESIDING)

ANIN YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE BONNIE JSC

BENIN JSC

AKAMBA JSC

NII KPAKPO ADDO WITH HIM SIKA ABLA ADDO AND STEPHEN OPOKU FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

KISSI ADJEBENG WITH HIM SETH ASANTE AND AKWAABA ACQUAAH AND DENNIS ADJEBENG FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT

MRS. AFRIYIE ANSAH (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) WITH HER ZEINAB AYARIGA (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD DEFENDANTS.

[2016]DLSC2876
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >HIS LORDSHIP
JUSTICE PAUL UUTER DERY.<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>TIGER EYE P.
I. AND THE HONOURABLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA AND THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL<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. J1/29/2015&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DATE: 4TH FEBUARY, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>NII
KPAKPO ADDO WITH HIM SIKA ABLA ADDO AND STEPHEN OPOKU FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>KISSI
ADJEBENG WITH HIM SETH ASANTE AND AKWAABA ACQUAAH AND DENNIS ADJEBENG FOR THE 1ST
DEFENDANT<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">

MRS. AFRIYIE ANSAH
(CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) WITH HER ZEINAB AYARIGA (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY) FOR
THE 2ND AND 3RD DEFENDANTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>ANSAH, JSC (PRESIDING)
ANIN YEBOAH, JSC BAFFOE BONNIE, JSC BENIN, JSC AND AKAMBA, JSC&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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 style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

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

</div>BENIN, JSC:- <o:p></o:p>My Lords, in this case we
would have to answer a very important question listed as relief (4) on the writ
and also set down by the Plaintiff herein as issue (4) in the memorandum of
issues. The question is this: if Article 146(8) of the Constitution is violated
in terms of public disclosure of the contents of a petition, does it render the
original process, being a petition to the President, null, void and of no
effect? This question has been posed because in the case of Ghana Bar
Association v. Attorney-General and Another (1995-96) 1GLR 598, hereafter
called the GBA case, as well as in the case of Agyei-Twum v. Attorney-General
and Akwetey (2005-2006) SCGLR 732, hereafter called the Agyei-Twum case, this
question was not addressed and answered even though this constitutional provision
featured in both cases. In the Agyei-Twum case the court concluded that since
the petition was published to persons other than the President, it was done in
violation of Article 146(8) of the Constitution and consequently the publication
was declared an unconstitutional act. The court did not, however, proceed to
say the petition was as a result rendered void. It might be because the plaintiff
in that case did not seek any such relief. On the other hand, as suggested by Counsel
for the Plaintiff herein at paragraph 8.9 of the statement of case, no
consequential order was made under Article 2(2) of the Constitution, 1992
because “there was no conclusive evidence
on record that the 2nd
Defendant was responsible for the publication in the media of his Petition”,
quoting from the decision. <o:p></o:p>Both the GBA and
Agyei-Twum cases asserted the fact that Article 146(8) should be complied with,
in proceedings leading to the removal from office of a superior court Judge in
the sense that it should be conducted in private. We would thus not belabour
that point. And as we shall show, the resolution of this case will come down to
the answer that will be given to the question we have posed above. <o:p></o:p>Nonetheless, we would
address the issue whether we should depart from the decision in the Agyei-Twum
case referred to above as has been strenuously urged upon us by Counsel for the
2nd and 3rd Defendants.<o:p></o:p>This matter has been
brought by the Plaintiff herein relying on Article 146(8) of the 1992
Constitution. The entire Article 146 of which clause (8) forms a part deals
with the removal from office of persons in the category of superior court
judges, including the Chief Justice. It is necessary to set out the entire
Article 146 here in order to appreciate and understand what clause (8) really
means. It reads:<o:p></o:p>(1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A Justice of the Superior Court or a
Chairman of the Regional Tribunal shall not be removed from office except for
stated misbehaviour or incompetence or on ground of inability to perform the
functions of his office arising from infirmity of body or mind.<o:p></o:p>(2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A Justice of the Superior Court of
Judicature or a Chairman of the Regional Tribunal may only be removed in
accordance with the procedure specified in this article.<o:p></o:p>