MAERSK GHANA LIMITED vs. B. T. L. LIMTED [2021]DLSC10687

Date	2021-04-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/33/2019
Citation No.	[2021]DLSC10687

YEBOAH CJ (PRESIDING)

MARFUL-SAU JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

AMADU JSC

O. K. OSAFO BUABENG FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

EZIUCHE NWOSU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/CROSS-APPELLANT.

[2021]DLSC10687
																																						<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" >MAERSK GHANA LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>B. T. L. LIMTED<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/33/2019 &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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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:
29TH APRIL, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>O. K. OSAFO
BUABENG FOR THE DEFENDANT/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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">EZIUCHE
NWOSU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/CROSS-APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>YEBOAH CJ
(PRESIDING), MARFUL-SAU JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, OWUSU (MS.) JSC, AMADU 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 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;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>&nbsp;AMEGATCHER
JSC:-<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
This is a maritime
dispute which has travelled from the High Court through the Court of Appeal and
now before the Supreme Court. In this court, the maritime aspect has, to a
considerable extent, been reduced into a procedural matter of capacity to sue and
the quantum of damages awarded for damage to perishable cargo.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Plaintiff/Respondent/Respondent
(hereafter referred to as the Respondent) instituted this matter against the Defendant/Appellant/Appellant
(hereafter referred to as the appellant) on 28th June 2010, seeking
the following reliefs endorsed on the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-style:italic">a.&nbsp;&nbsp; Specific damages in the
sum of Forty – Six Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty dollars ($46,350.00) to be
paid by Defendant to Plaintiff being the cost of 1,030 boxes of fresh yams, the
freight, clearing and handling charges in the USA.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-style:italic">b.&nbsp; Interest on the said
sum of Forty-Six Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty dollars ($46,350.00) at the
commercial bank lending rate of interest from 1st February 2010 to
and inclusive of the final date of payment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-style:italic">c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; General damages for the
inconvenience, pain, distress and loss of customers and inc</main>