GERTRUDE DEDE AWUSI ZORH vs. PRINCE ODONKOR & ORS. [2019]DLHC10271

Date	2019-12-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO. LD/0863/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC10271

HER LADYSHIP ANANDA J. AIKINS (MRS).

ANTOINETTE BOAMAH HOLDING BRIEF FOR MR. RAPHAEL ALIJINA COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFF PRESENT

MR. J. A LARKAI COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENDANTS ABSENT

[2019]DLHC10271
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GERTRUDE
DEDE AWUSI ZORH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>PRINCE
ODONKOR &amp; ORS.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT NO. LD/0863/2019&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; DATE:
9TH DECEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>PLAINTIFF’S LAWFUL ATTORNEY
ABSENT<o:p></o:p>1ST DEFENDANT
PRESENT, REPRESENTS 2ND AND 3RD DEFENDANTS<o:p></o:p>ANTOINETTE BOAMAH
HOLDING BRIEF FOR MR. RAPHAEL ALIJINA, COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFF PRESENT<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

MR. J.
A LARKAI, COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENDANTS ABSENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER LADYSHIP ANANDA
J. AIKINS (MRS).<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING
ON MOTION FOR INTERLOCUTORY INJUNCTION<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;The plaintiff/applicant is requesting
this Court for an order restraining the defendant/respondents herein and their
agents etc. from dealing with the land in dispute in any manner whatsoever
pending the final determination of the substantive suit.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiff says she is the owner of
the land in dispute and that the defendants have come unto her land and erected
a shed on it for church activities.&nbsp; She
says she will suffer irreparable damage if the defendants are not restrained
from dealing with the land in dispute pending the outcome of the substantive
litigation.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The defendants/respondents are opposed
to the application on the ground that the land in dispute was donated to a
church by the Ochuassah Odonkor Family of Wedokom, Dodowa who are the allodia
owners of the said land.&nbsp; They claim the
church has erected and almost completed a structure on the land and they
further claim that the plaintiff’s grantor, one Tetteh Odonkor does not own the
land in dispute and so he could not have transferred same to the
plaintiff/applicant.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Court has perused the affidavit
evidence of both parties, their statements of case and has also looked at all
their annexed exhibits. The Exhibits ‘C’ series which are attached to the
plaintiff’s application show a single room structure built with cement blocks
which has been partly demolished. Exhibits 4, 5 and 5A which are attached to
the defendants’ affidavit in opposition also show the partly demolished
structure (shown in Exhibit ‘C’ series) and an unroofed shed which has been
erected on the land over what appears to be a foundation for a building.&nbsp; It appears to this Court that both parties
have structures on the land in dispute. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The fundamental principle in the grant
of an application for interlocutory injunction is whether the applicant has a
legal right at law or in equity, which the Court ought to protect by
maintaining the status quo until the final determination of the action on its
merits.&nbsp; See the case of Owusu v. Owusu-Ansah and Another [2007 –
2008] 2SCGLR 870. The Court also
has to consider the balance of convenience and should refuse the application if
its grant would cause serious hardship to the other party.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;After considering the case</main>