THE REPUBLIC vs. KWABENA AMPOFO APPIAH, EDWARD AWUAH AND JACOB BEECHAM EX PARTE:MRS. PATIENCE ATTA-AFFRAM [2018]DLHC3948

THE REPUBLIC vs. KWABENA AMPOFO APPIAH, EDWARD AWUAH AND JACOB BEECHAM EX PARTE:... [2018]DLHC3948

Date	2018-12-21
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CR/28/2019
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC3948

KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

JOSEPH KAPONDE WITH ALHASSAN DRAMANI FOR THE APPLICANT

NUTIFAFA NUTSUKPUI WITH RITA APPEA-FOFIE FOR THE RESPONDENTS

[2018]DLHC3948
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWABENA AMPOFO APPIAH,
EDWARD AWUAH AND JACOB BEECHAM<o:p></o:p>EX PARTE:MRS. PATIENCE ATTA-AFFRAM<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT
(GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT&nbsp;NO. CR/28/2019&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 21ST
DECEMBER, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JOSEPH KAPONDE WITH ALHASSAN DRAMANI FOR THE APPLICANT
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</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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KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT<o:p></o:p>

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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:1.45pt;margin-right:0in;
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</div>APPLICATION
FOR COMMITTAL FOR CONTEMPT<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction:<o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
denial of liberty of any citizen of our Republic resulting from a charge of
contempt is effected in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
Even though there is no specific law on contempt in Ghana, the absence of
codification of the law of contempt in Ghana does not in itself violate the
principle that there must not be crime or punishment except in accordance with
fixed or pre‑determined law. This is because the charge of contempt of court in
Ghana rests in the concept of the public defiance that accompanies the charge
of contempt.&nbsp; To establish contempt in Ghana the Applicant must prove
beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused defied or disobeyed a court order,
with intent, knowledge or recklessness as to the fact that the public
disobedience will tend to undermine and attenuate the authority of the court. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As
previously stated by this Court<a href="file:///E:/ACK/THE%20REPUBLIC%20V.%20KWABENA%20AMPOFO%20APPIAH,%20EDWARD%20AWUAH%20AND%20JACOB%20BEECHAM.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title="">[i]</a>
‘contempt of court is the big stick of civil litigation and because of the
serious nature of a contempt finding, a finding should be made sparingly and
only in the clearest cut of cases. A direct intention to disobey a Court order
or an act to prejudice a <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Black’s Law Dictionary 8th Edition defines
contempt as “conduct that defies the authority or dignity of a Court or
legislature. Because such conduct interferes with the administration of
justice, it is punishable, usually by fine or imprisonment.” The Oxford
Advanced Learner’s <o:p></o:p>Dictionary
of Current English by A.S. Hornby (7th Edition) also defines
contempt of court as “the crime of refusing to obey an orde</main>