THE REPUBLIC vs. ELIZABETH NORLEY OKANTEY AND 2 OTHERS; EX PARTE CHARLOTTE MOMO QUAYE [2017]DLHC3852

THE REPUBLIC vs. ELIZABETH NORLEY OKANTEY AND 2 OTHERS; EX PARTE CHARLOTTE MOMO... [2017]DLHC3852

Date	2017-06-20
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CR 228/17
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC3852

ERIC K. BAFFOUR ESQ. JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

JOSHUA AMIDU FOR PRINCE NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE ESQ FOR THE APPLICANTS

[2017]DLHC3852
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ELIZABETH NORLEY OKANTEY
AND 2 OTHERS; EX PARTE CHARLOTTE MOMO QUAYE<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (GENERAL JURISDICTION 7),
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>SUIT
NO. CR 228/17&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;20TH JUNE, 2017<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JOSHUA
AMIDU FOR PRINCE NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE, ESQ FOR THE APPLICANTS <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>ERIC
K. BAFFOUR, ESQ. JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>RULING<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>I
begin this ruling with the words of Lord George Gordon Byron, an English
Romantic poet (1788-1824) that: <o:p></o:p>“He who holds no law in
awe, he must perish by the law”. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>And
the great English dramatist, William Shakespeare, in his work, the Rape of
Lucre notes that: <o:p></o:p>“sparing justice feeds
iniquity” <o:p></o:p>The
authority of the court to ensure that its orders are not disrespected or
ignored is at the heart of court of contempt applications. As noted by Atuguba
JSC IN RE KWABENG STOOL, REPUBLIC v
BROWN; EX PARTE KARIKARI [2005-2006] SCGLR 35@41 and relying on the English
authority of JENNISON v BAKER [1972]
1ALR 997 @1005-1006 CA that: <o:p></o:p>“if the orders of the
court can deliberately be set at naught by a litigant employing for her own
personal advantage such means as were here resorted to and if indeed it be the
case that she has to go unpunished for her contumacy, justice vanishes from the
horizon and the law is brought into disrepute... in the memorable word of his
honour Judge Curtis –Raleigh:” the law should not be seen to sit by limply
while those who defy it go free and those who seek its protection lose hope”. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Applicant has mounted this application under Order 55 of the High Court (Civil <o:p></o:p>Procedure)
Rules, C. I. 47 seeking an order of committal for contempt against the
Respondents. The grounds for the application had been stated in the motion
paper as: <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Disobeying
the oral order of mandatory injunction of Judge Essandoh dated 16th of
February, 2017 not to continue building the toilet on the disputed house the
subject matter of the motion on notice for an order of mandatory injunction
filed on 21st December, 2016 <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Frustrating
the administration of justice by building and completing the building the
pendency of the mandatory injunction motion to compel the Respondents to
demolish the structure pending before the Circuit Court <o:p></o:p>