BANK OF AFRICA vs. WILLIAM KOTEY NEEQUAYE [2018]DLHC9105

Date	2018-09-28
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CM/BFS/0759/2016
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC9105

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE

ANDREW APPAU OBENG FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT

PATRICK KOJO ENNIN FOR DEFENDANT/ APPLICANT

[2018]DLHC9105
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BANK OF AFRICA<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>WILLIAM KOTEY NEEQUAYE<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, 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: CM/BFS/0759/2016&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;DATE:
28TH SEPTEMBER 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ANDREW APPAU OBENG FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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PATRICK KOJO ENNIN FOR DEFENDANT/ APPLICANT&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
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</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Before me is a Motion on Notice,
Application to Pay Judgment Debt by Instalment. I have reviewed the said motion
together with the affidavit in support of the application as well as the
affidavit in opposition to the application in the light of the record of
proceedings before me. I have also heard from counsel for both parties as they
set forth the positions of their clients.<o:p></o:p>By this application, the
Defendant/Judgment/ Debtor/Applicant, (hereinafter, the ‘Applicant’) seeks to
vary the terms of the Consent Judgment that was entered by the Court as the
judgment of the parties on 1st February, 2018 by praying the Court
for a grant of an Order to pay the judgment debt by instalment.<o:p></o:p>&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; <o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff/Judgment/Creditor/Respondent (hereinafter, the ‘Respondent’) as is to
be expected, is sincerely opposed to a grant of the application and the main
reason for its opposition is that the honourable court cannot vary the terms of
a Consent judgment as to do so would be contrary to law.<o:p></o:p>&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; <o:p></o:p>The sole issue that I am required to
answer in this application, to my mind, is whether or not a Court has
jurisdiction to vary a Consent Judgment. I have given thoughtful consideration
to the case law and authorities on the issue as well as the Rules of Court
Procedure, the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I. 47)
which provides per Order 41 rule 8 (1)
as follows:<o:p></o:p>&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; <o:p></o:p>“Where any Judgment or Order directs the payment of money,
the Court may, for any sufficient reason, order that the amount shall be paid
by instalments, with or without interest, and the order may be made at the time
of giving the judgment, or at any time afterwards by the same or any judge and
may be rescinded upon specific cause shown at any time”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is worthy to note that even though
the judgment obtained by the Respondent against the Applicant is one for the
payment of money, it was a judgment that proceeded from Terms of Settlement
entered into and filed by the parties to the suit, which the Court entered as
Consent Judgment of the parties at their instance.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>To my mind, a Consent Judgment is a
contract acknowledged in open Court by the parties to the Terms of Settlement
who pray the Court to record the Terms of Settlement and so binds the parties
as fully as any other judgments of the Courts. The Supreme Court in the case of
Ababio II &amp; Anor V Akro &amp; Co.
&amp; Ors (1965) 1 GLR 195, SC and
also in Republic Vrs High Court
(Commercial Division), Accra, Ex Parte the Trust Bank Limited, dated November, 12, 2008, SC,
postulated similar sentiments. In the latter case, Atuguba, JSC held that a Consent Judgment is contractual in nature
&amp; once it is entered, the Court will enforce it as a judgment. In the
unreported case of Eloi Kofi Mensah
Simmons Vrs Catherine Simmons (Civil Appeal No. J4/21/2015, dated March 15,
2016), the Supreme Court speaking through His Lordship, Justice Appau, JSC, stated that it is for this reason
that judgments of this nature are termed as “ CONSENT JUDGMENT”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>N</main>