THE REPUBLIC vs. KWABENA NIMO EX PARTE: WILLIAM KWAME ADUMOAH [2020]DLHC10538

Date	2020-07-21
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CR/0177/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC10538

KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO J

JOSEPHINE OSEI OWUSU H/B OF JUSTICE KUSI-MINKAH PREMO FOR THE APPLICANT –PRESENT

GYEBI NTEM MENSAH FOR THE RESPONDENT – PRESENT

[2020]DLHC10538
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWABENA
NIMO<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>EX PARTE: WILLIAM KWAME ADUMOAH<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, 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;">

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>JOSEPHINE OSEI OWUSU H/B OF JUSTICE
KUSI-MINKAH PREMO FOR THE<o:p></o:p>APPLICANT –PRESENT<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 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">GYEBI
NTEM MENSAH FOR THE RESPONDENT – PRESENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO, J<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;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">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;APPLICATION
FOR COMMITTAL FOR CONTEMPT<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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>&nbsp;[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:///C:/Users/aggie/Desktop/2020-21/Gen_Jur_Court/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Kwabena%20NIMO.2020.Review%20(2021_02_04%2012_43_53%20UTC).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>&nbsp;[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As
previously stated by this Court<a href="file:///C:/Users/aggie/Desktop/2020-21/Gen_Jur_Court/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Kwabena%20NIMO.2020.Review%20(2021_02_04%2012_43_53%20UTC).docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">[2]</a>
‘contempt of court is the big stick of civil litigation and because of the
serious nature of</main>