[2023]DLHC16916 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><a name="_Hlk152146143"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;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="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;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="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">IBRAHIM JAJAH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">EX PARTE :<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">MR. ASAFO ADJEI AND MRS. ASAFO ADJEI<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;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="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;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" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 168.75pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;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;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt; 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 style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">SUIT NUMBER: CR/371/2022 DATE: 30<sup>TH</sup> JANUARY 2023</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;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: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">GORDON C. AKPADIE, ESQ. – COUNSEL FOR THE APPLICANTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">OFOSU GYEABOUR, ESQ, - COUNSEL FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;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"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE CONSTANT K. HOMETOWU<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;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt;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 style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><h1 style="margin-top:11.1pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></h1><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">JUDGMENT INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The matter before the Court is a motion on notice for an Order of Committal<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>for<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>Contempt<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>Court,<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>filed<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>at the<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>Registry<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>this<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>Court<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>11th<span style="position:relative; top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise:3.5pt;letter-spacing:2.0pt"> </span>March 2022, pursuant to Order 50 Rule 1 of the High Court [Civil Procedure] Rules, 2004 CI 47.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:11.1pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In the case of the <b>Republic v. Mensa-Bonsu & Others; Ex Parte Attorney- General [1995-96] 1 GLR 377@403</b>, the learned Adade JSC (<i>as he then was</i>) stated as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:8.15pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“There are different forms of contempt. Underlying all of them, however, is one basic notion, that the roadways and highways of public justice should<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>at all<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>times<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>be<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>free from<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>obstruction.<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>Conduct which<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt"> </span>tends<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>to create such an obstruction constitutes contempt. Thus, interfering with witnesses or jurors; frightening off parties to litigation; refusing to answer questions in court; commenting on pending proceedings in such a manner as to prejudice the outcome; running down the courts and the judges; refusing to obey an order of a court; any of these, if calculated to, or tend to,<span style="letter-spacing: 2.0pt"> </span>impede or obstruct the course of justice will constitute contempt. And conduct complained of therefore must be viewed and assessed against the backdrop of this basic principle”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:7.95pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Thus, the first type of contempt is where there is a pending motion, seeking to restrain the parties from interfering with the <i>status quo</i>;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:8.05pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">And the second scenario deals with the willful disobedience of a pending order or judgment of the court.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Parties’<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>Submissions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left:0cm;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">APPLICANT’S<span style="letter-spacing:.05pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt">CASE</span><o:p></