[2023]DLHC16619 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">ARLA FOODS LIMITED<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">DYNASTY COMMERCIALS COMPANY LIMITED<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal;tab-stops:168.75pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> </span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0.2pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">SUIT NO. CM/RPC/0434/202 DATE: 26<sup>TH</sup> OCTOBER, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0.2pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">PEGGY BOADI FOR SHADRACK ARHIN FOR PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal; tab-stops:163.5pt"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">CORAM <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE FRANCIS OBIRI <o:p></o:p></span></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; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0.2pt;"> <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"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">On 26<sup>th</sup> July 2023, the court ordered the parties to file their pre-trial checklists, witness statements and all documents they intend to rely upon in the case within 21 days. The parties have failed to comply with the Order of the court as at today, 26<sup>th</sup> October, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">It is trite law, that time limits in court processes are too important for one to ignore.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic"> They are meant to prevent delays by keeping the wheels of justice rolling smoothly. If this were not so, parties would initiate actions in court and thereafter go to sleep only to wake up at their own appointed time to continue with such litigation at their pleasure. If this were allowed, litigation could grind to a halt, a sure recipe for confusion and inordinate delays in the due and proper administration of justice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">See</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">: <b>OPPONG v ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND OTHERS [2000] SCGLR 275<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">Orders setting time limits are to ensure certainty and procedural integrity in the administration of justice. I therefore cannot craft any rule to aid the parties, nor will the end of justice be served if any attempt is made to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">See: <b>DOKU v PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA [2005-2006] SCGLR 700<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">I will therefore invoke Rule 1 (3) of C.I 87 and strike out the case for want of prosecution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"> &