NII LANTE LAMPTEY vs. R. O. LAMPTEY, NII TEIKO OKINE AND FKA COMPANY LTD [2021]DLSC11153

Date	2021-12-01
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/17/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLSC11153

APPAU JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC

O. K. OSAFO-BUABENG FOR THE PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT/APPELLANT.

I. M. ALLOTEY-ANNAN FOR THE 3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT.

[2021]DLSC11153
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NII LANTE LAMPTEY<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>R. O. LAMPTEY, NII TEIKO OKINE AND
FKA COMPANY LTD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/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:150%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/17/2021&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;
&nbsp;DATE: 1ST DECEMBER,
2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>O. K. OSAFO-BUABENG FOR
THE PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>I. M. ALLOTEY-ANNAN FOR
THE 3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/<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:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>APPAU JSC
(PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC, KULENDI 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:150%;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;TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC:-<o:p></o:p>The issue for resolution in this highest court
arose only in the Court of Appeal. The Appellant herein was the plaintiff in
the high court and appellant in the court of appeal and will be referred to as
Plaintiff in this ruling. He originally sued two defendants in the high court.
While the Plaintiff’s suit was pending against these two defendants, the 3rd
Defendant/Respondent (hereinafter referred to as 3rd Defendant)
applied to join and was joined to the high court suit with a counterclaim
against the Plaintiff. A first trial was conducted between the Plaintiff and
the first two defendants. The Plaintiff obtained judgment against them. In a later
trial between the Plaintiff and 3rd Defendant, the 3rd
Defendant obtained judgment against the Plaintiff on his counterclaim on 28th
October 2016. This led to the Plaintiff filing an appeal against the judgment
obtained by the 3rd Defendant on his counterclaim on 18thNovember
2016. <o:p></o:p>It was not till May 2018 that Form 6 was issued by
the registrar of the court of appeal giving notice that the appeal records were
ready for hearing. The records show that Form 6 was served personally on the
Plaintiff on 16th May 2018, compelling the beginning of the run of
time for the filing of his written submissions in support of the appeal in
accordance with Rule 20 (1) of the Court
of Appeal Rules 1997 CI 19.&nbsp; No
submissions were filed by or on behalf of the Plaintiff within the three weeks
required by Rule 20 (1) <o:p></o:p>In March 2019, the Registrar of the court of
appeal issued a notice certifying to the court that the Plaintiff had not
complied with the requirement of Rule 20
(1)and so Rule 20 (2) of CI 19as
amended by the Court of Appeal
(Amendment) Rules 1999, CI 25had been invoked.&nbsp; Along with a hearing notice for hearing of
the appeal on 15th April 2019, the two documents were served on the
Plaintiff’s counsel’s chambers through an employee of the chambers on 21st
March 2019. <o:p></o:p>On the date fixed for the hearing of the
Registrar’s certificate of non-compliance, the court of appeal duly recorded
the appeal as struck out in accordance with Rule 20 (2)of CI 19as
amended by CI 25 which reads:<o:p></o:p>Where the
appellant does not file the statement of his case in accordance with sub-rule
(1), the Registrar shall certify the failure to the Court by a certificate as
in Form 11 A in Part 1 of the Schedule and the Court may upon that order the
appeal to be struck out<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff, acting per the same counsel he had
filed the notice of appeal through, then filed an application to relist the
appeal. In that application, he failed to exhibit the written submissions he
would make if the appeal was relisted. The court of appeal was not impressed
with the application for re-listment on that account. In their ruling that
refused to list the appeal, the court of appeal stated:<o:p></o:p>‘This is an
application to relist the appeal which was struck out on 15-04-19 for
non-compliance with Rule 20 (1) of CI 19 the proposed written submission has
not being even serve exhibited (sic). The application is hereby refused.’<o:p></o:p>This appeal is against the decision refusing to
relist the appeal. Plaintiff’s grounds of appeal to this court are:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;