EBUSUAPANYIN NTIAKO E. KOBINA vs. AHANTA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL EBUSUAPANYIN NKETSIA WEREKO [2018]DLSC478

EBUSUAPANYIN NTIAKO E. KOBINA vs. AHANTA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL EBUSUAPANYIN NKETSI... [2018]DLSC478

Date	2018-05-02
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/62/2016
Citation No.	[2018]DLSC478

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

APPAU JSC

PWAMANG JSC

JOSEPH AMOWEE DAWSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT

KWAME GYAN FOR THE DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2018]DLSC478</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">EBUSUAPANYIN
NTIAKO E. KOBINA</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">vs.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">AHANTA
TRADITIONAL COUNCIL</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">EBUSUAPANYIN
NKETSIA WEREKO</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/62/2016</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 2<sup>ND</sup>&nbsp;MAY,
2018<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">COUNSEL:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">JOSEPH AMOWEE DAWSON FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">&nbsp;KWAME GYAN FOR THE
DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING), YEBOAH JSC,
BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC, APPAU JSC, AND PWAMANG JSC<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">PWAMANG, JSC:-</span></u></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">My Lords, this appeal presents an interesting scenario
wherein the Court of Appeal in the judgment on appeal before us unanimously
departed from its own decision on a point of law. By Article 136(5) of the
Constitution, 1992 the Court of Appeal is bound by its previous decisions but
in this case the court reversed itself because it came to the conclusion that
its previous decision was a nullity. A previous decision of the Court of Appeal
which is null and void may certainly be departed from but whether the previous
decision in this case was a nullity or not, the analysis which follows will
indicate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The main issue that the Court of Appeal was confronted
with in both decisions which were, except for one judge, by the same panel, was
&nbsp;whether or not an action in the High Court praying for a declaration that
a judgment of a chieftaincy tribunal is a nullity is a cause or matter
affecting chieftaincy over which the High Court undoubtedly has no
jurisdiction. Put in another way; whether the only jurisdiction exercisable by
the High Court &nbsp;to quash a judgment of a chieftaincy tribunal said to be a
nullity is by prerogative writ alone or the remedy of declaration may also be
granted in an action commenced by writ of summons?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The background to the case is that the Ahanta
Traditional Council on 30th December, 1998 gave judgment against the appellant
in a chieftaincy matter filed by the 2nd respondent. After his appeal against
that judgment was dismissed by the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional
House of Chiefs, he commenced an action by writ in the High Court, Sekondi
praying for only one relief; " Declaration that the judgement of the
Ahanta Traditional Council in the case of...is null, void and of no effect for
breaches of the provisions of LI 798 as well as the judgment of the Western
Region House of Chiefs dated 9th day of December, 2002." The respondents
filed their defence to the action together with a motion to dismiss the suit on
the ground that it was a cause or matter affecting chieftaincy over which the
High Court has no jurisdiction. The High Court refused the motion to dismiss
and respondents appealed to the Court of Appeal. In its judgment on the
interlocutory appeal dated 15th March, 2012, the Court of Appeal held that the
High Court had jurisdiction in the matter and that it was not a cause or matter
affecting chieftaincy. They remitted the case to the High Court for trial.
After a trial the High Court granted the prayer sought by the a</main>