K. K OFORI vs. POSITIVE DRIVE INVESTMENT, ANNAS MUSAH AND ABRAHAM MENSAH ASHONG [2018]DLCA5119

Date	2018-11-15
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/105/2018
Citation No.	[2018]DLCA5119

MARIAMA OWUSU (J.A) PRESIDING

AVRIL LOVELACE-JOHNSON (J.A)

HENRY A. KWOFIE (JA)

KWABENA ANKAMAH OFFEI BADU FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MUNIRU M. KASSIM FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2018]DLCA5119
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >K. K OFORI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>POSITIVE DRIVE
INVESTMENT, ANNAS MUSAH AND ABRAHAM MENSAH ASHONG<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, 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">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:center;
text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">SUIT
NO. H1/105/2018&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 15TH
NOVEMBER, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KWABENA ANKAMAH OFFEI BADU
FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MUNIRU
M. KASSIM FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS<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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MARIAMA
OWUSU (J.A) PRESIDING, AVRIL LOVELACE-JOHNSON (J.A), HENRY A. KWOFIE (JA)<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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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AVRIL
LOVELACE-JOHNSON (J.A):<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the ruling of
the High Court Accra dated 28th July 2017 by which it denied the Plaintiff/Appellant’s
application for interlocutory injunction.<o:p></o:p>The appeal is brought on the sole
ground that the learned trial judge wrongly exercised his discretion when he
dismissed the said application. On this basis, the Appellant seeks from this
court an order granting the said interlocutory injunction.<o:p></o:p>The background to this case is that the
Plaintiff/Appellant on 23rd May 2017 issued a writ against the 1st
and 2nd Defendants for declaration of title to the land in dispute,
damages for trespass, recovery of possession and perpetual injunction. One
Abraham Ashong applied to be joined to the suit and was so joined as the 3rd
Defendant. The Plaintiff/Appellant then applied for interlocutory injunction
against the Defendants which was refused, leading to the present appeal.<o:p></o:p>In refusing the application, the
learned trial judge stated in part as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“This therefore goes to show that both
have legal rights to the subject matter which requires the protection of this
court…..Looking at the stage of the development on the land it is my candid
consideration that it will not be just to grant the application since doing so
will create a lot of inconvenience to the Respondent”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Courts have over the years laid
down clear guidelines for the grant or refusal of interlocutory injunctions
even though its grant lies within the discretion of the judge who hears the
application. However, where this discretion is not exercised judiciously, (that
is, where it is not exercised in accordance with these guidelines), in spite of
the reluctance by an appellate court to interfere with an exercise of
discretion by a court of first instance, this court, by virtue of its statutory
powers of rehearing under rule 8(1) of The Court of Appeal Rules 1997 C I 47 can
and will do so in the interest of justice. See the case of<o:p></o:p>OWUSU
V OWUSU-ANSAH and ANOR [2007-2008] SCGLR 870, Holding (2)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The principles governing
the grant of such applications have been stated in cases such as AMERICAN</main>