THE REPUBLIC vs. JUSTICE HAGAN (RESPONDENT) EXPARTE: KWADWO KANPORDIMA AND SARAH KANPORDIMA [2019]DLHC6796

THE REPUBLIC vs. JUSTICE HAGAN (RESPONDENT) EXPARTE: KWADWO KANPORDIMA AND SARAH... [2019]DLHC6796

Date	2019-01-11
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CR/568/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC6796

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

AGYABENG G. AKRASI FOR THE APPLICANTS

ABENA DUMA AIDOO HOLD BRIEF SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2019]DLHC6796
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JUSTICE HAGAN<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>EXPARTE: KWADWO KANPORDIMA AND SARAH KANPORDIMA<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[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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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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NO: CR/568/2018&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 11TH APRIL, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>AGYABENG
G. AKRASI FOR THE APPLICANTS <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ABENA
DUMA AIDOO HOLD BRIEF SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE RESPONDENT <o:p></o:p>

</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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HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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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; 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:///F:/ackaa%20boafo%20RULLING/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Justice%20HAGAN.2019.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><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[2].&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As previously stated by this
Court<a href="file:///F:/ackaa%20boafo%20RULLING/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Justice%20HAGAN.2019.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:///F:/ackaa%20boafo%20RULLING/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Justice%20HAGAN.2019.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title="">[3]</a>.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>