FRANCIS KWARTENG ARTHUR vs. NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY [2021]DLCA10841

Date	2021-05-20
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/50/2020
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA10841

JUSTICE LAWRENCE L. MENSAH J.A. (PRESIDING)

JUSTICE AMMA GAIZIE (MRS) J.A

JUSTICE ERIC BAAH J.A.

JUSTICE SREM-SAI FOR THE APPLICANT/APPELLANT.

KWAKU ASIRIFI FOR THE RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.

[2021]DLCA10841
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANCIS KWARTENG ARTHUR<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<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 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/50/2020 &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;DATE:
27TH MAY, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JUSTICE
SREM-SAI FOR THE APPLICANT/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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

KWAKU ASIRIFI FOR THE
RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>JUSTICE
LAWRENCE L. MENSAH J.A. (PRESIDING), JUSTICE AMMA GAIZIE (MRS) J.A, JUSTICE
ERIC BAAH J.A.<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;
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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;LAWRENCE L. MENSAH, J.A.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This appeal is engendered by a
decision entered in favour of the Respondent/Respondent which will be referred
to as Respondent against the Applicant/Appellant who will be referred to as the
Applicant by an Accra High Court dated the 28th day of March 2019.&nbsp; The action is an originating motion under
Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution and Oder 67 of C.I. 47 launched by the
Applicant a lawyer against the National Identification Authority in respect of
a digital address code which the Respondent insisted was necessary for every
one who applied to be issued with a National Identification Card.&nbsp; According to the Applicant there is no basis
for the Respondent to insist on he Applicant furnishing the Respondent with a
digital address code without which he the Applicant could not be registered. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Case
of the Applicant:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Applicant, a lawyer as
aforementioned, deposed that in or around July 2018, the Respondent announced
through the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) that it had commenced registration
process to issue National Identification Card for the members of the Ghana Bar
Association in Accra.&nbsp; The Applicant
stated that being a member of the GBA, he decided to get himself registered.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is the further deposition of the
Applicant that at the work-station of the GBA in Accra, the officials of the
Respondent required of him to provide his digital address code.&nbsp; When he was unable to provide the said
digital address code, the Respondent’s officials refused his application for
the card.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is the further case of the
Applicant that all attempts he made to have his particulars entered into the
register of the Respondent to procure the card, proved futile, owing to the
inability of the Applicant to provide the Respondent with the digital address
code.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is the contention of the
Applicant that the digital address code is entirely unknown to the laws of the
Republic of Ghana, and further that the subjecting of Applicant’s rights to
obtain a card to his production of a digital address code is illegal,
unreasonable and discriminatory.&nbsp; The
Applicant concluded that his rights to administrative justice and equality or
non-discrimination have been or are likely to be infringed upon by the
Respondent.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As a result of the above, the
Applicant launched an application pursuant to article 33(1) and (2) of the 1992
Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and under Order 67 of the Highs Court
(Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I. 47) claiming reliefs and praying the trial
High Court to grant same as follows:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Adjudge and decl</main>