ABIVAMS LIMITED vs. PLATUN GAS OIL GHANA LTD. [2017]DLSC2560

Date	2017-05-31
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/29/2016
Citation No.	[2017]DLSC2560

AKUFFO (MS) JSC PRESIDING

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

BENIN JSC

PWAMANG JSC

OSAFO BUABENG FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.

CHARLES TETTEH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2017]DLSC2560</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;
mso-fareast-language:#0C00">ABIVAMS LIMITED</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;
mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;
mso-fareast-language:#0C00">PLATUN GAS OIL GHANA LTD.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/29/2016&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; DATE:&nbsp;31</span><sup><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">ST</span></sup><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;MAY,
2017<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">OSAFO
BUABENG FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CHARLES TETTEH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CORAM:</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">AKUFFO (MS), JSC PRESIDING YEBOAH, JSC
BAFFOE-BONNIE, JSC BENIN, JSC AND PWAMANG, JSC<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: 1.5pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><u><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">BENIN,
JSC</span></u></b><u><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">:-</span></u><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">This appeal brings
into focus once more the scope and limit of the popular Order 14 of the High
Court (Civil Procedure) Rules), 2004, C.I. 47. That Order has become so popular
even among students of the law because we are made to believe that it is the
shortest route to obtain judgment in liquidated claims in particular, without
going through the travails of litigation. But to the unwary judge who falls
into that trap, he may be tempted to dismiss a defence to a claim under this
order, as it were, to save time, especially bearing in mind the fact that the
court is required to adopt expeditious and less expensive means to dispose of a
case before it. But we must not lose sight of the fact that rules of court are
meant to regulate orderly proceedings and nobody should be made to suffer
therefrom, without real or just cause. The rules of natural justice prevail in
all proceedings, hence the requirement that a person should not be made to
suffer unless he has been heard in his defence, except by his own showing he
does not want to be heard or clearly he has no defence to an action and should
therefore not engage in a wild goose chase.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">As a result, the
courts have over the years provided guidelines for the invocation of the
provisions under Order 14 which every trial judge must observe, lest a
defendant should be denied a hearing on merits, without justification. It is
necessary at the outset of this decision to recall the caution sounded by
Denman J in the case of&nbsp;<b>Manger etc v. Cash (1889) 5 T.L.R. 271&nbsp;</b>when
he said<b>&nbsp;</b>that: “<i>The jurisdiction is one to be exercised with
great care, so as not to preclude a party from raising any defence he may
really have. The judge is not to make the order if either he is satisfied that
there is a defence, or that th</main>