JIBRIL MAHAMA vs. AKWASI MENSAH [2020]DLSC9917

Date	2020-11-04
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/45/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9917

YEBOAH CJ (PRESIDING)

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

MARFUL-SAU JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

G. AGYABENG AKRASI FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

BENONY AMEKUDZI FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLSC9917
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk35510717">JIBRIL MAHAMA&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></a>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AKWASI MENSAH<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[SUPREME 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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/45/2019&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;DATE:
4TH
NOVEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>G. AGYABENG AKRASI FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

BENONY AMEKUDZI FOR THE
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>YEBOAH, CJ (PRESIDING), BAFFOE-BONNIE,
JSC, MARFUL-SAU, JSC, AMEGATCHER, JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.), JSC<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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
150%;tab-stops:147.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>TORKORNOO,
(MRS.) JSC:-<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff/Appellant/Appellant (Plaintiff) is contesting the leave
granted by the High Court to the Defendant/Respondent/Respondent (Defendant) to
amend his defence to the Plaintiff’s action. In his Statement of Claim, the
Plaintiff had averred in his paragraph 4 that <o:p></o:p>4. Plaintiff avers that it was a
term of the sale and purchase agreement he entered into with defendant that he
was to pay GH₵40,000 to the defendant whilst the remaining balance of GH₵30,000 ‘shall be paid after the transfer’ of the
necessary land documents’<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In his original defence to the Plaintiff’s claims, the Defendant had
denied all averments in the Statement of Claim and pleaded in Paragraph 4 of
his Statement of Defence that<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>4. In further denial, the
defendant will contend that the said plot of land was to be sold to the
plaintiff for Gh₵70,000 and the plaintiff paid GH₵40,000 leaving a balance of 30,000 to be paid
after the transfer of the document thereof’<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff applied for judgment on admissions pursuant to Order 23 rule 6(1) and Order 11 rule 18 (1)
(a) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 CI 47 on the basis of
this Paragraph 4. Before the Plaintiff’s application for judgment could be
heard, the Defendant filed an Amended Defence and opposed the application for
judgment on admissions. This amended Defence was struck out on account of
failure to seek leave prior to filing same.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Thereafter, the Defendant applied to the High Court for leave to amend
his Defence. The Plaintiff opposed the hearing of this application for leave to
amend the Defence before the hearing of his application for judgment on
admissions on the principal ground that the application was incompetent on
account of seeking to defeat his prior application for judgment on admissions..
<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The court heard the Defendant’s application for leave to amend his
Defence first, granted same, and the Plaintiff appealed to the Court of Appeal
to set aside the order granting Defendant leave to amend his defence. The appeal
to the Court of Appeal was dismissed, leading to the present appeal on the
following grounds:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
judgment is against weight of evidence<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The court
of appeal erred in law by affirming the ruling of the high court granting leave
to defendant to amend his pleading, even though the court agreed with plaintiff
about the defendant’s motion on notice to </main>