THE REPUBLIC vs. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE AND UPPER EAST REGIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS EX PARTE NABA NONGE-BUURI MALTINGA; (RAYMOND ALAFIA ABILBA INTERESTED PARTY). [2017]DLHC8180

THE REPUBLIC vs. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE AND UPPER EAST REGIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS EX P... [2017]DLHC8180

Date	2017-07-28
Suit No.	SUIT NO. C12/15/2017
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC8180

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JACOB B. BOON

THADDEUS SORY FOR THE APPLICANT

JOHN NDEBUGRE FOR THE INTERESTED PARTY

KENNETH ADABAYIRI FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2017]DLHC8180
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JUDICIAL
COMMITTEE AND UPPER EAST REGIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS<o:p></o:p>EX PARTE NABA
NONGE-BUURI MALTINGA;<o:p></o:p>(RAYMOND
ALAFIA ABILBA INTERESTED PARTY).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT,
BOLGATANGA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT
NO. C12/15/2017&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 28TH JULY, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>THADDEUS
SORY FOR THE APPLICANT <o:p></o:p>JOHN
NDEBUGRE FOR THE INTERESTED PARTY <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

KENNETH
ADABAYIRI 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;
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HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JACOB B. BOON<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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>This
ruling is about an application invoking the supervisory jurisdiction of the
High Court by way of an order of certiorari to quash the decision of the
Judicial Committee of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs delivered on 25th
October, 2016, details of which would be given presently. For ease of
reference, the Judicial Committee of the House of Chiefs will hereafter be
called the respondent. At this point, it is material to explain, with the aid
of decided cases, what the writ of certiorari entails. In Republic v Committee
of Enquiry into Nungua Traditional Affairs; Ex-parte Odai IV and Others
(1996-97) SCGLR 401, Bamford-Addo JSC, at page 408 said: <o:p></o:p>“Certiorari is in the main,
a discretionary remedy and it lies to quash any findings or decision of a lower
court or other inferior tribunal which acts ultra vires its powers or whose
decision fails to observe the rules of natural justice. It is used to quash
decisions not only of lower courts but other inferior tribunals including
administrative ones which are under a duty to act judicially.” <o:p></o:p>It
was also held in Republic v High Court, Sekondi; Ex parte Ampong alias Akrufa
Krukoko I (Kyerefo III &amp; Others Interested Parties) (2011) 2 SCGLR 716,
holding (1) at 717 that:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“it was well-settled that certiorari was not
concerned with the merits of the decision; it was rather a discretionary remedy
which would be granted on grounds of excess or want of jurisdiction and/or some
breach of the rules of natural justice; or to correct a clear error of law
apparent on the face of the record. The error of law must be so grave as to
amount to the wrong assumption of jurisdiction; and it must be so obvious as to
make the decision a nullity....”&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The
lawyers, especially counsel for the applicant, have adequately explained the
nature of certiorari, in the various legal submissions filed in this
application. Having set out the scope of the remedy sought by the applicant, it
is now appropriate to discuss the details of the application.<o:p></o:p>The applicant
is Naba Nonge-Buri Malitinga. He claims to have been duly nominated, selected
and enskinned as Bolga-Naba, in accordance with Frafra custom, tradition and
usage and as already stated, he seeks in this application, an order of
certiorari to quash the ruling of the respondent, asserting it has adversely
affected him in his resolve to be the Bolga Naba. From the processes filed in
pursuant to the application, the history of the decision under attack may be
summarised as follows: On 11th June, 2015 the applicant commenced
proceedings by way of a petition before the respondent against the interested party
in the instant motion. For the sake of clarity, the interested party is one
Raymond Alafia Abilba who asserted he has since the 8th day of May,
2015 also been installed Bolga-Naba with the skin name Naba Awogeya-Lebna
Abilba IV. In the petition by the applicant before the respondent, he sought
the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Declaration that the
nomination, selection and enskinment of the petitioner as Bolga-Naba and
successor to Naba Abilba is in accordance with the custom and tradition of
Frafra.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;