THE REPUBLIC vs. JOSEPH ATSU GAZE, EXPARTE: IDA GAZE [2022]DLHC12014

Date	2022-04-06
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CR/0419/2021
Citation No.	[2022]DLHC12014

HIS LORDSHIP CHARLES GYAMFI DANQUAH J.

MARIGOLD MAWUENA ALLOTEY ESQ. FOR THE APPLICANT ABSENT WITH EXCUSE DUTY

SEDINAM ADZADU ESQ. FOR SELORM ADONOO ESQ. FOR THE RESPONDENT ABSENT

[2022]DLHC12014
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE
REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>JOSEPH
ATSU GAZE, EXPARTE: IDA GAZE<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH
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;">

SUIT NO. CR/0419/2021&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;DATE:
6TH&nbsp;APRIL 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&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; <o:p></o:p>MARIGOLD MAWUENA ALLOTEY ESQ. FOR THE APPLICANT
ABSENT WITH EXCUSE DUTY,<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">SEDINAM ADZADU ESQ. FOR
SELORM ADONOO ESQ. FOR THE RESPONDENT ABSENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP CHARLES GYAMFI DANQUAH J.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;BY
COURT:<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"> The Applicant filed the present
application on the 1st December, 2021 for the Respondent to be
committed to prison on the grounds that the Respondent has failed to provide
the monthly maintenance for the Applicant and the child of the family as
ordered by the Court on the 14th May, 2021. <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;The
Respondent filed an affidavit in opposition on the 13th December,
2021. The last time learned counsel for the Applicant was in Court was on the
22nd February, 2022. On the 8th March, 2022 learned
counsel for the Applicant was absent and so was the case on the 21st
March, 2022. The adjournment on the said date was at the instance of learned
counsel for the Applicant. <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;When
the case was called today the Court realized that there was a letter from
learned counsel for the Applicant again praying for an adjournment to the 18th
May, 2022. For this reason learned counsel for the Respondent was given the
opportunity to make his submission on the application. Learned counsel’s
position is that the series of adjournment at the instance of counsel for the Applicant
show that they are not ready to move the application since they are running away
from their own case with the various adjournments and prayed the Court to struck
out the application for want of prosecution. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Additionally,
learned counsel for the Respondent submitted that the motion before the Court
is an abuse of its process as in law a debtor cannot be committed for Contempt
of Court for failing to pay a judgment debt and cited authorities to buttress the
position of the law.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;I
agree with the position taken by learned counsel for the Respondent that the Applicant
is running away from her own case with the various adjournments.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The
authorities, The Re</main>