THE REPUBLIC vs. FRANCIS L.A. BROWN AND FRANCIS KPAKPO BROWN EXPARTE: VICTOR AGGOE BRIANDT [2018]DLHC3953

THE REPUBLIC vs. FRANCIS L.A. BROWN AND FRANCIS KPAKPO BROWN EXPARTE: VICTOR AGG... [2018]DLHC3953

Date	2018-11-27
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CR/517/2018
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC3953

KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

ANDREWS TETTEH FOR THE APPLICANT

ABENA DUMA AIDOO HOLD BRIEF SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2018]DLHC3953
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>FRANCIS L.A. BROWN AND
FRANCIS KPAKPO BROWN<o:p></o:p>EXPARTE: VICTOR AGGOE BRIANDT&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>[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/517/2018&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE:
27TH
NOVEMBER, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ANDREWS TETTEH FOR THE
APPLICANT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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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>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:1.45pt;margin-right:0in;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>APPLICATION
FOR COMMITTAL FOR CONTEMPT<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This
matter was originally scheduled for Thursday, November 22, 2018. On the said
day however, the Respondents did not attend Court. The issued Bench Warrants
but same were later rescinded when the Respondents came to Court at about 2pm
with their Counsel.<o:p></o:p>I start this decision with a quote of Lord Byron (1788-1824) a rather flamboyant
former member of the British House of Lords. He is credited with the statement
that: “He who holds no Laws in awe, He must perish by the Law”. Put simply,
ordinarily, the law must be obeyed,
no matter the circumstances. <o:p></o:p>[2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
learned (and one of the respected jurists in the Common Law tradition) Lord
Denning MR in the case of BRADBURY v.
ENFIELD LONDON BOROUGH COUNCIL [1967] 1 W.L.R. 1311 @ 1324 stated:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Even if chaos should result, still
the law must be obeyed”.<o:p></o:p>[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Contempt of Court is the mechanism which
the law provides for the protection of the authority of the court from improper
interference. Contempt arises in many ways but includes a breach of a court
order, an attempt to obstruct the administration of justice, a deliberate
attack upon the integrity of a court or a judge that interferes with
proceedings, or some other form of conduct not foreseeable. Contempt of court
is part of a court's inherent jurisdiction and, as it is not precisely
prescribed or enacted, should be exercised with scrupulous care and only when
the circumstances are clear and beyond reasonable doubt.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[4]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The power of the High Court to punish
for contempt is provided in Articles
19(12) and 126 of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, and re-enacted
in S 36 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459)
as amended; S10 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Order 50 of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47).&nbsp; Order
50 of CI 47 sets the parameters by which an Applicant may move the court for an
order for an attachment for contempt of court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></main>