THE REPUBLIC vs. KWAME DOSSE, OKAIKOI NORTH MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY AND BOYE LARYEA, MUNICIPAL C.E.O EXPARTE: BEN KOOMSON PAYIN [2018]DLHC4021

THE REPUBLIC vs. KWAME DOSSE, OKAIKOI NORTH MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY AND BOYE LARYEA,... [2018]DLHC4021

Date	2018-11-30
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CR/708/2018
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC4021

JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

DOROTHY DOLLEY FRIEDLANDER FOR THE APPLICANT

PETER OSEI ASAMOAH FOR THE 1ST RESPONDENT

PRINCE FREDERICK NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD RESPONDENTS

[2018]DLHC4021
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWAME DOSSE, OKAIKOI NORTH MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY AND BOYE LARYEA,
MUNICIPAL C.E.O EXPARTE: BEN KOOMSON PAYIN<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">[<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">HIGH COURT (GENERAL JURISDICTION
DIVISION, COURT 6) 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
NO: CR/708/2018&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; DATE: <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">30TH NOVEMBER, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOROTHY DOLLEY
FRIEDLANDER FOR THE APPLICANT <o:p></o:p>PETER OSEI ASAMOAH FOR THE 1ST RESPONDENT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">PRINCE FREDERICK NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE
FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD RESPONDENTS <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ADDEN/Desktop/res/THE%20REPUBLIC%20VS.%20KWAME%20DOSSE,%20OKAIKOI%20NORTH%20MUNICIPAL%20ASSEMBLY%20AND%20BOYE%20LARYEA%20MUNICIPAL%20C.E.O%20EXPARTE%20BEN%20KOOMSON%20PAYIN.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a>, 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 depreciate the authority of the
court. <o:p></o:p>[2].&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As
previously stated by this Court<a href="file:///C:/Users/ADDEN/Desktop/res/THE%20REPUBLIC%20VS.%20KWAME%20DOSSE,%20OKAIKOI%20NORTH%20MUNICIPAL%20ASSEMBLY%20AND%20BOYE%20LARYEA%20MUNICIPAL%20C.E.O%20EXPARTE%20BEN%20KOOMSON%20PAYIN.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">[2]</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 pending
application is required and it ought to be a willful disregard of the order or
prejudice the outcome of a pending suit in the Court’<a href="file:///C:/Users/ADDEN/Desktop/res/THE%20REPUBLIC%20VS.%20KWAME%20DOSSE,%20OKAIKOI%20NORTH%20MUNICIPAL%20ASSEMBLY%20AND%20BOYE%20LARYEA%20MUNICIPAL%20C.E.O%20EXPARTE%20BEN%20KOOMSON%20PAYIN.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title="">[3]</a>.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>