RICHARD KOBINA BADJONA AND EMMANUEL ADZRAGO A.A.A BRUCE vs. ABDUL RAHMAN SALIFU [2019]DLHC8952

Date	2019-12-20
Suit No.	SUIT NO. GJ/1832/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC8952

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER A. DADZIE

EBENEZER AHIATOR ESQ. OF AHIATOR LAW CONSULTANCY DZORWULU ACCRA

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS

EMMANUEL HAMMOND ESQ. OF LEO CHAMBERS ACCRA

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT

[2019]DLHC8952
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >RICHARD KOBINA BADJONA AND EMMANUEL
ADZRAGO A.A.A BRUCE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ABDUL RAHMAN SALIFU<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT (COMMERCIAL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. GJ/1832/2019&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:
20TH DECEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EBENEZER
AHIATOR, ESQ., OF AHIATOR LAW CONSULTANCY, DZORWULU, ACCRA, COUNSEL FOR
PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS<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" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">EMMANUEL
HAMMOND, ESQ., OF LEO CHAMBERS, ACCRA, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER LADYSHIP, JUSTICE JENNIFER A. DADZIE<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%;
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>The
Defendant/Applicant (hereinafter, the “Applicant”) seeks an order of this Court
to set aside the writ of summons issued by the Plaintiffs/Respondents (hereafter
referred to as “Respondents”) on September 5, 2019 as per the grounds deposed
to in the accompanying affidavit, which in the main, is to the effect that the
writ of summons having been issued by Ahiator Law Consultancy, which is not a
lawyer and therefore lacked capacity to institute the instant action on behalf
of the Respondents, same is not maintainable in law and the defect cannot be
cured.<o:p></o:p>The
application is opposed by the Respondents per the affidavit in opposition
deposed to by one Isaac Tamakloe, who says he is the office manager of the law
firm, Ahiator Law Consultancy.&nbsp; The
gravamen of this opposition is that if the writ of summons is construed as a
whole, the conclusion that is arrived at is that the licence number and the two
signatures on the writ are those of the Plaintiff’s solicitor and not that of a
law firm.&nbsp; The Respondents further
contend that the writing of the name of the law firm in the portion of the writ
meant for counsel’s name was in error and should not warrant the setting aside
of the writ of summons, especially considering the fact that the lawyer went
ahead to provide his licence number and to sign his signature.<o:p></o:p>I
have read and considered the affidavits in support of and in opposition to the
application as well as the written submissions filed by counsel which set out
the respective positions of the parties on this matter.&nbsp; I have also given great thought to the
provisions of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I 47), the case law and the principles governing
the setting aside of a Writ of Summons in such circumstances and I am of the
considered opinion that there is merit in the arguments advanced by Counsel for
Applicant, which arguments, invariably, represent the mind of the Court in this
matter.<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">I must state on the onset that I am also of the opinion that <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“a person” in the
context of sections 2(2), 8<a href="https://ghanalawhub.com/can-a-law-firm-sign-a-legal-process/#_ftn3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; color: rgb(1, 13, 33); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(3</a>)<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">and 43(1)<a href="https://ghanalawhub.com/can-a-law-firm-sign-a-legal-process/#_ftn4"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; color: rgb(1, 13, 33); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(4</a>)<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> of the Legal Professions Act, 1960 (Act 32) <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">means a natural
person, who can only be a person registered on the roll of lawyers to practice
law in the jurisdiction and possessed of a valid solicitor’s licence at the
time of issua</main>