REBECCA OTCHERE (PLAINTIFF) vs. WESTERN HIGH JHS (DEFENDANT) [2019]DLHC7049

Date	2019-03-26
Suit No.	SUIT NO. E3/3/19
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC7049

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE RICHARD ADJEI – FRIMPONG J.

SAMUEL KWESI KESSE ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

DEFENDANT UNREPRESENTED.

[2019]DLHC7049
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >REBECCA OTCHERE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>WESTERN HIGH JHS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH
COURT, SEKONDI]<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. E3/3/19 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:
26TH MARCH, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL
KWESI KESSE ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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DEFENDANT UNREPRESENTED.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE RICHARD ADJEI – FRIMPONG J.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" 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:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;(ASSESSMENT
OF DAMAGES)<o:p></o:p>Some
time in March 2017, the plaintiff was employed by the defendant first as a
nursery instructor and later, as she pleads, on account of her good performance,
as a teacher for Basic 3 in the defendant’s educational institution. By a
letter dated 13th September 2018, the defendant terminated the
plaintiff’s employment without any notice or payment of salary in lieu of
notice. The defendant had also failed to pay the plaintiff’s social security
contribution for the period she worked for it. The plaintiff by her writ of
summons filed in this court sought the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>a)
An order that termination of the plaintiff was unlawful in so far as plaintiff
was not given any notice nor payment in lieu of notice.<o:p></o:p>b)
An order directing the defendant to pay the social security deductions of the
plaintiff for the periods that she worked with the defendant.<o:p></o:p>c)
Damages for unlawful termination<o:p></o:p>d)
Any further orders as to which this court may deem fit.<o:p></o:p>From
the record, the defendant upon causing an appearance to be entered on its
behalf on 7/11/18 failed to deliver any pleadings in defence. Wherefore upon
the plaintiff’s application, this court decreed judgment for all the reliefs
sought, fixing the matter for damages to be assessed for wrongful termination.<o:p></o:p>In
assessing damages, the general rule at common law is that damages for wrongful
termination is on the basis of compensation. It is understood that a contract
of employment is terminable and even where termination is wrongful the court
would award damages to compensate the aggrieved party. See ASHUN VRS ACCRA
BREWERY (2009) SCGLR 81. It is only in exceptional cases that a court would
order specific performance of an employment contract.<o:p></o:p>The
measure of damages is the quantum of what the aggrieved party would have earned
from his employment during such reasonable period determined by the court after
which he or she should have found alternative employment. ASHUN VRS ACCRA
BREWERY (supra).<o:p></o:p>The
quantum is not limited to salary in lieu of notice but will also not extend to
the period till retirement.<o:p></o:p>In
HEMANS VRS GNTC (1978) GLR 4 the court determined that 4 months after wrongful
termination was a reasonable period during which the applicant could succeed in
securing another job. Securing an alternative job has been recognized as a duty
of the aggrieved employee to mitigate his or her losses. <o:p></o:p>In
this case I take into account the period of time the plaintiff worked for the
defendant. It was just about one and half years. She was being paid 500ghc a
month. The plaintiff is not advanced in age. She is 43 years. Though she is
currently without any job, her prospects of securing another job is not
completely lost. I however take judicial notice of the current unemployment
situation in the country. Accessing job is presently burdensome but given the
relatively short period of time the plaintiff worked with the defendant I think
a period of 6 months should be reasonable for purposes of securing an
alternative job. I shall therefore award damages on the basis of plaintiff’s 6
months’ salary. The amount attracts interest at the prevailing bank rate from
14th September 2018 till date of final payment.<o:p></o:p>I
also order the defendant to pay all outstanding social security deductions to
SSNIT for the entire period of the employment. The defendant shall comply with
this order within 30 days.<o:p></o:p>I
award costs of 3000ghc against the defendant for the action.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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>

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