[2023]DLHC17066 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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">GENERAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD <o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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">NOTRE DAME INVESTMENT LTD <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;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 NO. E2/46/20 DATE: 20<sup>TH</sup> MARCH 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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;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><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">GODWIN ACQUAH ESQ FOR BENJAMIN ACKAAH GYASI ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF /JUDGMENT/CREDITOR/ RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></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="MsoNoSpacing" style="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;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">VICTOR OWUSU ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/ JUDGMENT/DEBTOR /APPLICANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;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" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HIS LORDSHIP DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE J.</span><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"> <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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; 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"">RULING</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><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In this motion on notice, Defendant/Judgment Debtor/Applicant is praying the court to stay the Execution of the Judgment of the Court dated 9<sup>th</sup> July, 2021 pending the determination of an appeal lodged at the Court of Appeal against the Ruling of the Court dated 9<sup>th</sup> August, 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The aforementioned ruling was in respect of a Motion of Notice for an Order Setting Aside the Plaintiff/Judgments/Creditors Entry of Judgment and subsequent Execution Processes. The application was dated 28/06/2022. The Court dismissed the application on 9/08/2022 and the Applicant herein has filed a Notice of Appeal dated 22/08/2022 at the Court of Appeal. It is on the back of the said Notice of Appeal that the Applicant herein has filed the instant application.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Meanwhile, Applicant has appealed against the substantive judgment of the Court at the Court of Appeal and subsequently filed a Motion on Notice for stay of execution at the Court of Appeal pending the determination of the Appeal by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal on 24/01/2022 granted the Applicant’s motion for stay of execution subject to payment of USD$ 1,000,000.00 by the Applicant herein.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This instant application for stay of execution is for all instants and purposes a repeat application that was canvassed before the Court of Appeal Counsel for the Applicant’s submission that this application is made pending the determination of the Appeal against the Ruling of the Court does not in any way change the colour and legal effect of the instant application for stay of execution in relation to the one determined by the Court of Appeal. They were all aimed at staying the execution of the Judgment of the Court. So far as the Court of Appeal has dealt with the Application, it amounts to an abuse of the Court process for the applicant to repeat the same application in this Court, which is below the Court of Appeal in the hierarchy of our Court system. Thus, granting the instant application would amount to judicial impudence of epic proportion. It would be tantamount to varying the decision of the Court of Appeal or as it were setting aside the decision of the Court of Appeal. By the doctrine of judicial precedent and <i>stare decisis.</i> This Court is not clothed with the jurisdiction to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Consequently, the application is dismissed, as same is an abuse of the Court process. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 302.1pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> There will be no order as to costs. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%;tab-stops:318.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><