BIG BOYS COMPANY LTD. vs. ACCESS BANK (GH) PLC [2020]DLCA10017

Date	2020-11-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/164/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA10017

B. ACKAH-YENSU JA (PRESIDING)

AMMA GAISIE JA

OBENG-MANU JNR. JA

[2020]DLCA10017
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BIG BOYS COMPANY LTD.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ACCESS BANK (GH) PLC<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, 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;">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO.: H1/164/2020&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE:
26TH NOVEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>B. ACKAH-YENSU JA
(PRESIDING), AMMA GAISIE JA, OBENG-MANU JNR. JA<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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;<a name="_Hlk13039370">B. ACKAH-YENSU, JA<o:p></o:p></a>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>I have had the
benefit of reading the opinion of my learned brother, Obeng-Manu Jnr., JA.&nbsp; I am in agreement with his conclusion but I
have a few thoughts which I want to add to the said opinion, particularly in
respect of the award of special damages by the trial court.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;BACKGROUND
FACTS<o:p></o:p>Plaintiff/Respondent
asserted that it had hired its 450 ton Crane to Messrs Rockshell International Limited
under a contract for a period of 23 months at the rate of $25,000.00 per
day.&nbsp; While the Crane was under the
custody of Rockshell Int. Ltd., it was attached by the Deputy Sheriff at the
instance of Plaintiff/Respondent for the reason that Rockshell Int. Ltd. had
defaulted in the payment of a loan granted by the Bank to Rockshell Int.
Ltd.&nbsp; Defendant/Appellant consequently
obtained judgment against Rockshell Int. Ltd.&nbsp;
Defendant/Appellant filed a Notice of Claim and an Affidavit of Interest
in respect of the Crane, and the Crane was consequently released from
attachment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;After the release of
the Crane from attachment, Plaintiff/Respondent issued a writ against the
Defendant/Appellant claiming that it has suffered loss as a result of the fact
that it was not able to honour the contract with Rockshell Int. Ltd.&nbsp; Plaintiff/Respondent claimed against
Defendant/Appellant as follows:<o:p></o:p>“a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Special damages of $25,000 per day, that
is from May 12, 2016 to release date – Wednesday 15th March, 2017 of
the Crane (when) the crane was under wrongful attachment) and the Plaintiff’s
could not earn fees under the contract.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Payment of the cost of any damage
caused to the crane as a result of its attachment <o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Costs of the action including Counsel’s
fees set at the Ghana Bar Association scale of approved fees”.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The trial court
entered judgment for the Plaintiff/Respondent on its relief one (1); that is
Plaintiff was to recover the sum of USD25,000 per day from 12th May,
2016 to the 15th March, 2017 as special damages.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;THIS
APPEAL<o:p></o:p>As comprehensively
discussed in the lead judgment, the Defendant/Appellant has appealed against
the judgment of the trial court and is seeking an order setting aside the
judgment of the trial court dated 7th June, 2019, upon a myriad of
grounds.&nbsp; As aforesaid, I will limit
myself to the grounds regarding the award of special damages in this opinion, i.e.:<o:p></o:p>g)
The learned judge erred when he ignored the requirement for special damages to
be pleaded and particularized.<o:p></o:p>h)
The learned trial judge erred when he made an award in respect of relief (1)
which was more a relief for loss of earnings than special damages.<o:p></o:p>i)
The learned trial judge erred when he made an award in respect of relief one
(1) which was more a relief for loss of revenue rather than special damages.<o:p></o:p>k)
The learned trial judge erred in awarding special damages on a daily basis of
USD 25,000 from the date of execution till the date of release.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In this delivery, I
shall refer to the Parties as Plaintiff and Defendant respectively as in the
trial court.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In the judgment of
the trial court, the learned trial judge posited as follows:<o:p></o:p>“Having
examined the evidence adduced by the Plaintiff regarding its claim for special
damages in respect of the losses it incurred by reason of the unlawful
attachment of its Crane at the instance of the Defendant, I am convinced that
the Plaintiff has succeeded in p</main>