FOOD SOVEREIGNTY GHANA vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2023]DLSC16134

Date	2023-05-31
Suit No.	WRIT NO. J1/02/2022
Citation No.	[2023]DLSC16134

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC

ACKAH-YENSU (MS.) JSC

WAYOE GHANAMANNTI ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

DIANA ASONABA DAPAAH (DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL) FOR THE DEFENDANT WITH HER VIVIAN OPOKU-AGYAKWA (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) AND MAUD OFAAH YEBOAH (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY).

[2023]DLSC16134
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FOOD
SOVEREIGNTY GHANA&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
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;">

WRIT NO. J1/02/2022&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE:
31TH MAY 2023&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL <o:p></o:p>WAYOE
GHANAMANNTI ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<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;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;tab-stops:82.3pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">DIANA ASONABA DAPAAH (DEPUTY
ATTORNEY-GENERAL) FOR THE DEFENDANT WITH HER VIVIAN OPOKU-AGYAKWA (PRINCIPAL
STATE ATTORNEY) AND MAUD OFAAH YEBOAH (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY).<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>BAFFOE-BONNIE
JSC (PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC, PROF.
MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC, KULENDI JSC, ACKAH-YENSU (MS.) JSC&nbsp;&nbsp; <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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;AMEGATCHER JSC:-<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff, a Non-Governmental Organization
incorporated in Ghana, invokes the original jurisdiction of this Court pursuant
to articles 1(2), 2(1) and 130(1) of the Constitution, 1992 about the passage
by the Parliament of Ghana of the Plant Variety Protection Act, 2020 (Act
1050), for the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>1.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that Section 61 of the Plant Variety Protection Act, 2020 (Act
1050) which enjoins the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to ensure that
the implementation of the Act does not affect the fulfilment of the obligations
of Ghana pertaining to the protection of plant breeder rights under the
Convention to which Ghana is a party and also Section 63 of Act 1050 which
defines "Convention" to mean the International Convention for the
Protection of New Varieties of Plants of 1961 is inconsistent with Articles 1
(2), 11 and 75 of the 1992 Constitution.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that Section 22 of Act 1050 which provides that a plant breeder
right is subject to any measure taken by the Republic to regulate, within
Ghana, the protection, certification and marketing of material of a variety or
the importation or exportation of the material is inconsistent with Articles 1
(2) and 11 of the 1992 constitution.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;3.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration
that Section 8 of Act 1050 on Eligibility for a Plant Breeder Right and Section
9 of Act 1050 on Application for a Plant Breeder Right are inconsistent with
Articles I (2), 17 (1), (2) and (3) of the 1992 Constitution.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;4.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stre</main>