CHRISTOPHER DADZIE vs. KWESI ITU [2023]DLHC16850

Date	2023-06-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO: E11/04/2023
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC16850

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE MALIKE AWO WOANYAH DEY

PHILIP YOUNG

PAAPA NIMAKO DANKWAH

DANIEL ARTHUR

[2023]DLHC16850
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >CHRISTOPHER DADZIE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWESI ITU<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, CAPE COAST]<o:p></o:p>&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><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: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

</div>COUNSEL&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><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: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

PHILIP YOUNG FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

PAAPA NIMAKO DANKWAH FOR
DANIEL ARTHUR FOR DEFENDANT/ RESPONENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE MALIKE
AWO WOANYAH DEY<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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>On 14th February
2022, the District Court Cape Coast dismissed the suit for want of capacity on
the part of the plaintiff-appellant, hereinafter called the appellant, depicted
on page 100 of the Record of Appeal in the following terms;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"The
challenge to the plaintiff's capacity to sue the defendant was made by counsel
for the defendant during his cross-examination of the plaintiff. Both lawyers
for the parties raised the point as a legal issue in their written addresses
and canvassed arguments for and against the issue. Having
examined the evidence
on Record and the
applicable law, I am inclined
to agree with counsel for the defendant that the plaintiff has no authority to commence the
action against the defendant. In the case of Stephens v Apoh [2010] MLRG 12 at
26 SC Anin Yeboah JSC as he then was held as follows;<o:p></o:p>"It
is the law that if an action succeeds on a plea of statute of limitation, lack
of jurisdiction or lack of locus standi, the trial court and for that matter an
appellate court should not proceed to determine the merits of the case
irrespective of the evidence."<o:p></o:p>Since
the plaintiff has no legal right to be in court to litigate over his family’s
property, I am unable to proceed further to determine the merits of the case. Accordingly, I
hereby dismiss the plaintiff’s action for want of capacity.<o:p></o:p>I award
GHC1000 as costs in favour
of the defendant”.<o:p></o:p>