VALENTINE EDEM DZATSE vs. MR HENRY AMETEFE AND 5 OTHERS [2020]DLSC9258

Date	2020-06-24
Suit No.	REFERENCE NO. J6/01/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9258

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

MARFUL-SAU JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

KOTEY JSC

OWUSU JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON JSC

C. K. KOKA FOR THE PLAINTIFF

CHRIS A. ACKUMMEY FOR 1ST TO 4TH DEFENDANTS

JUSTIN AMENUVOR WITH HOPE AGBOADO FOR THE 5TH AND 6TH DEFENDANTS

[2020]DLSC9258
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >VALENTINE EDEM DZATSE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MR HENRY AMETEFE AND 5 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>REFERENCE NO. J6/01/2020&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 24TH JUNE, 2020<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>PWAMANG, JSC: <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.95pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
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yes">This
case is a reference by the High Court, Ho of a question involving the enforcement
and interpretation of the Constitution, 1992 that arose on the face of the processes
filed in Suit No. E12/09/2020 pending
in that court. We have examined the case stated in the reference by the trial judge
and considered the documents attached to it and are of the view that the appropriate
question that has to be answered in this reference is whether or not C.I. 95 which
is the subsisting legislation that delimits constituency boundaries in Ghana is
inconsistent with Article 47(2) of the Constitution, 1992 by virtue
of C.I. 112 which contains the boundaries of the newly created Oti Region, to the
extent that C.I. 95 provides that the traditional areas of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke
and Lolobi all in the Oti Region are part of the Hohoe Constituency in the Volta
Region of Ghana and therefore to the extent of that inconsistency is unconstitutional.
We do not find the reference in the case stated to CI 119 which delimits District
Assemblies and Electoral Areas boundaries relevant to a resolution of the real issue
arising before the High Court, so we shall not consider it. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:15.8pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
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yes">At
the hearing of the case in this court the plaintiff submitted that the answer to
the question posed above should be in the affirmative. His reason is that under
Article 47(2) no constituency is allowed
to straddle two regions but by the provisions of CI 95 made in 2016, the Hohoe Constituency
falls partly within the Volta Region and partly within the Oti Region that was created
by CI 112 made by the president pursuant to Article 5 of the Constitution in 2019.
<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:15.8pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">The
1st to 4th defendants on the other hand submitted that as CI 95 was in existence
and in force before C.I.112 was made by the president, the president in making C.I.
112 ought to have acted in conformity with it by ensuring that the traditional areas
of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke an