THE REPUBLIC vs. JOSEPH NII MENSAH ASHONG {RESPONDENT} EX PARTE: MAGNUS AL DE SOUZA {APPLICANT} [2019]DLHC6825

THE REPUBLIC vs. JOSEPH NII MENSAH ASHONG {RESPONDENT} EX PARTE: MAGNUS AL DE SO... [2019]DLHC6825

Date	2019-01-25
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CR/641/2017
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC6825

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

NII AKWEI BRUCE THOMPSON FOR THE APPLICANT -PRESENT

THEOPHILUS DONKOR FOR THE RESPONDENT – PRESENT

[2019]DLHC6825
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JOSEPH NII MENSAH ASHONG {RESPONDENT} EX PARTE:
MAGNUS AL DE SOUZA {APPLICANT}<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

SUIT NO: CR/641/2017&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 25TH JANUARY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>NII
AKWEI BRUCE THOMPSON FOR THE APPLICANT -PRESENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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THEOPHILUS
DONKOR FOR THE RESPONDENT – PRESENT<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>DECISION<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>Introduction:<o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Contempt
of Court is the mechanism which the law provides for the protection of the
authority of the court from improper interference. Contempt arises in many ways
but includes a breach of a court order, an attempt to obstruct the
administration of justice, a deliberate attack upon the integrity of a court or
a judge that interferes with proceedings, or some other form of conduct not
foreseeable. Contempt of court is part of a court's inherent jurisdiction and,
as it is not precisely prescribed or enacted, should be exercised with
scrupulous care and only when the circumstances are clear and beyond reasonable
doubt.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[2]&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/JUDGMENT/New%20folder%20(3)/THE%20REPUBLIC%20VS%20JOSEPH%20NII%20MENSAH%20ASHONG%20%7bRESPONDENT%7d%20EX%20PARTE%20MAGNUS%20AL%20DE%20SOUZA%20%7bAPPLICANT%7d.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 undermine and attenuate the authority
of the court. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As
previously stated by this Court<a href="file:///F:/ackaa%20boafo%20RULLING/JUDGMENT/New%20folder%20(3)/THE%20REPUBLIC%20VS%20JOSEPH%20NII%20MENSAH%20ASHONG%20%7bRESPONDENT%7d%20EX%20PARTE%20MAGNUS%20AL%20DE%20SOUZA%20%7bAPPLICANT%7d.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/JUDGMENT/New%20folder%20(3)/THE%20REPUBLIC%20VS%20JOSEPH%20NII%20MENSAH%20ASHONG%20%7bRESPONDENT%7d%20EX%20PARTE%20MAGNUS%20AL%20DE%20SOUZA%20%7bAPPLICANT%7d.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title="">[3]</a>.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[4]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs</main>