THE REPUBLIC vs. EBUSUAPANYIN KWAMINA BOSUMAKORA, EMMANUEL ARTHUR A.K.A SOFO ATTA, MATHEW ASSIFUAH A.K.A KWEKU BENYAH AND FRANCIS OWU EXPARTE: EKOW WOHO ADWOO [2020]DLHC9254

THE REPUBLIC vs. EBUSUAPANYIN KWAMINA BOSUMAKORA, EMMANUEL ARTHUR A.K.A SOFO ATT... [2020]DLHC9254

Date	2020-05-14
Suit No.	CASE NO. E9/9/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC9254

P. BRIGHT MENSAH JUSTICE OF THE APPEAL SITTING AS AN ADDITIONAL HIGH COURT JUDGE

EMMANUEL ARTHUR FOR THE APPLICANT

EDMUND ACQUAAH-ARHIN FOR THE 1ST RESPONDENT/CONTEMNOR

AMA ADOMAKO KWAKYE FOR CONSTANTINE KUDZEDZI FOR THE 2ND – 4THRESPONDENTS/CONTEMNORS

[2020]DLHC9254
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>EBUSUAPANYIN KWAMINA BOSUMAKORA, EMMANUEL ARTHUR A.K.A SOFO
ATTA, MATHEW ASSIFUAH A.K.A KWEKU BENYAH AND FRANCIS OWU<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>EXPARTE: EKOW WOHO ADWOO<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, SEKONDI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CASE
NO. E9/9/2020&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; DATE: 14TH MAY,
2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EMMANUEL ARTHUR FOR THE
APPLICANT<o:p></o:p>EDMUND ACQUAAH-ARHIN FOR THE
1ST RESPONDENT/CONTEMNOR<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

AMA
ADOMAKO KWAKYE FOR CONSTANTINE KUDZEDZI FOR THE 2ND – 4THRESPONDENTS/CONTEMNORS<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

P.
BRIGHT MENSAH JUSTICE OF THE APPEAL SITTING AS AN ADDITIONAL HIGH COURT JUDGE<o:p></o:p>

</div><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">

</div>The power
of the High Court to punish for contempt is provided for in Articles 19(12) and
126 of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, and re-enacted in S 36 of the
Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459); S10 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and
Order 50 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47).&nbsp; Order 50 of CI 47 sets the parameters by
which an applicant may move the court for an order for an attachment for
contempt of court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is
pertinent to observe that Article 19 Clause 11of the 1992 Constitution provides
and emphasizes that no person shall be convicted of a criminal offence unless
the offence is defined and the penalty for it is prescribed in a written law.&nbsp; However, the same Constitution, Article
19(12) empowers the court to punish for contempt notwithstanding that the act
or omission constituting it is not defined in a written law and the penalty
thereof not so prescribed. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>By reason
that the act or omission constituent of the offence of contempt has not been so
prescribed by legislation, Ghanaian courts unlike their British counterparts,
have to resort to the case law to resolve any issue regarding contempt when
confronted with one.&nbsp; Whereas Ghana has
not taken steps to legislate on the law of contempt as regards offences
constituting contempt, the United Kingdom from whom we borrowed our common law
has taken the lead to enact “The Contempt of Court Act, 1981”.&nbsp; S 6 of the 1981 Contempt of Court Act
preserves liability for contempt if intention to prejudice the administration
of justice can be shown.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>So what
constitutes contempt in Ghana?<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In In
Re: Effiduase Stool Affairs (No.2); Exparte Ameyaw II (1998-1999) SCGLR 639 @
660 &nbsp;that legal luminary, ACQUAH JSC (as he then was) gave an apt
summary of what constitute contempt as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>“In brief, contempt is constituted by any act or
omission tending<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; to
obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice,<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; or
to impair the dignity of the court or respect for its authority.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In R
v Sito I; Exparte Fordjour (2001-2002) SCGLR 322 the Supreme Court&nbsp;&nbsp; gave yet another dimension to the definition
of contempt.&nbsp; The court gave the elements
constituting the offence of contempt as that:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>a)&nbsp;</main>