KOFI KORLE vs JOYCE AMI AWURA, MARGARET TEYE OKRAH [2021]DLCA16062

Date	2021-12-16
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEA NO: H1/37/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA16062

SOWAH J. A. (PRESIDING)

OPPONG J. A.

MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A

EUNICE ODUM

[2021]DLCA16062
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KOFI KORLE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JOYCE
AMI AWURA, MARGARET TEYE OKRAH<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<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;">

CIVIL APPEA NO: H1/37/2021&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: 16TH DECEMBER 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>SOWAH
J. A. (PRESIDING), OPPONG J. A., MENSAH-HOMIAH 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;
text-align:center;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MENSAH-HOMIAH,
JA:<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>In this appeal against the ruling of the Circuit Court, Odumase-Krobo,
dated 2nd July, 2020, two pertinent issues arise. These are: (i) Procedure
after entry of conditional appearance; and (ii) The duty of a court when a
question of Capacity arises. For ease of reference, the designations of the
parties in the court below will be maintained.<o:p></o:p>THE ANTECEDENTS <o:p></o:p>On 2nd March 2020, the Plaintiff who describes himself
as the lawful Head of the Nene Kofi Korle family of Okpe-Wekpeti, Ogome-Somanya,
instituted the present action against the Defendants for two main reliefs,
namely: <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:40.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">a.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
And order of the court directed at the Defendants to desist from
holding themselves as members of the Okpe-Wekpeti, Ogome-Somanya.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:40.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">b.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Perpetual injunction to restrain the Defendants by themselves,
their heirs, successors, assigns, agents, workmen and whosoever from
interfering with plaintiff’s peaceful enjoyment of the land adjoining H No.
B250/1, Okpe-Wekpeti, Ogome-Somanya and any other property of the said family. <o:p></o:p>Upon service of the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim on 27th
April, 2020, each of the defendants filed a Notice of Conditional Appearance on
11th May, 2020. On the same day, the defendants filed a rather
strange application, titled “MOTION ON NOTICE TO STRIKE OUT PLAINTIFF’S SUIT
FOR WANT OF PROSECUTION (RES JUDICATA)”.<o:p></o:p>Attached to that motion was a judgment in the case of Kofi
Korle v. Margaret Teye Okrah &amp;2 Ors suit No. A11/12/2016, Circuit Court,
Akropong, dated 27th February, 2017 (exhibit A1), in which the
court expressed its opinion on reliefs dissimilar to the reliefs claimed in the
instant suit.&nbsp; Among other things, defendants
deposed that the Plaintiff therein failed to appeal against the judgment
contained in exhibit A1 and the statutory period for appeal has long elapsed.
They invited the court ‘to strike out the plaintiff’s suit for want of
prosecution with punitive cost against plaintiff’.<o:p></o:p>In opposing the application, the Plaintiff deposed that the
subject matter in exhibit A1 is entirely different and that the application filed
by plaintiff is needless and wrong in law. At the hearing of the motion,
counsel for plaintiff urged the court below to apply the dictum in the case of The Republic v. High Court, Accra,
ex parte Aryeetey (2003-2004) 1 SCGLR, 398, and strike out the
application.<o:p></o:p>