THE REPUBLIC vs. DANIEL McKORLEY EXPARTE: AL-HASSAN IDDISAH [2023]DLHC12161

Date	2023-02-20
Suit No.	SUIT NO: GJ/0057/2020
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC12161

KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO JA

NII AKWEI BRUCE-THOMPSON FOR THE APPLICANT –PRESENT

ALHAJI FAROUK SEIDU WITH HAIRIYA SEIDU K. EDEM AGEZO AND IBRAHIM

ANYASS MOHAMMED FOR THE RESPONDENT – PRESENT

[2023]DLHC12161
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>DANIEL
McKORLEY<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>EXPARTE: AL-HASSAN IDDISAH<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT
NO: GJ/0057/2020&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;DATE: 27TH
FEBRUARY, 2023.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>NII AKWEI BRUCE-THOMPSON FOR THE
APPLICANT –PRESENT<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">ALHAJI
FAROUK SEIDU WITH HAIRIYA SEIDU, K. EDEM AGEZO AND IBRAHIM ANYASS MOHAMMED FOR
THE RESPONDENT – PRESENT<o:p></o:p>

<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 windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;APPLICATION
FOR COMMITTAL FOR CONTEMPT<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Applicant, Al-Hassan Iddisah has
brought this contempt application to vindicate the &nbsp;law and its sanctions. He accuses the
Respondent, Daniel McKorley of breaking the law by willfully disrespecting an
order of this Court and thereby bringing the administration of justice into
disrepute.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Contempt of Court is the mechanism which
the law provides for the protection of the integrity and authority of the court
from improper interference. Contempt arises in many ways but includes a breach
of a court order, an attempt to obstruct the administration of justice, a
deliberate attack upon the integrity of a court or a judge that interferes with
proceedings, or some other form of conduct not foreseeable. Contempt of court
is part of a court's inherent jurisdiction and, as it is not precisely
prescribed or enacted, should be exercised with scrupulous care and only when
the circumstances are clear and beyond reasonable doubt.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The power of the High Court to punish
for contempt is provided in Articles
19(12) and 126 of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, and re-enacted
in S. 36 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act
459) as amended; S. 10 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Order 50 of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47).&nbsp; Order
50 of CI 47 sets the parameters by which an Applicant may move the court for an
order for an attachment for contempt of court.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[4]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There
is no codified legislation in Ghana that defines the act or omission that
constitutes the offence of contempt unlike the United Kingdom which
has the Contempt of Court Act<a href="file:///C:/Users/Aggie/Downloads/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Daniel%20McKorley%20(McDan).2023.FR.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a>. Ghanaian courts therefore resort to
case law to resolve any issue regarding contempt when confronted with one.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[5]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A succinct and frequently quoted
definition of contempt is found in the Supreme Court case of R v Sito I; Ex Parte Fordjour<a href="file:///C:/Users/Aggie/Downloads/Aaa.kab.CONTEMPT%20R%20v%20%20Daniel%20McKorley%20(McDan).2023.FR.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">