MARTIN KPEBU (PLAINTIFF) vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL (DEFENDANT) [2019]DLSC7731

Date	2019-12-18
Suit No.	WRIT NO. J1/22/2016
Citation No.	[2019]DLSC7731

AKUFFO CJ (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

BENIN JSC

KOTEY JSC

MARTIN KPEBU APPEARS IN PERSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

EVELYN KEELSON (MRS) CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY WITH RICHARD GYANBIBY

SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY AND PENINAH ASAH DANQUAH (MRS)

SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY LED BY GLORIA AKUFFO (MS)

ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[2019]DLSC7731
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARTIN KPEBU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">WRIT NO. J1/22/2016&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; &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: 18TH DECEMBER
2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MARTIN
KPEBU APPEARS IN PERSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

EVELYN
KEELSON (MRS), CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY WITH RICHARD GYANBIBY, SENIOR STATE
ATTORNEY AND PENINAH ASAH DANQUAH (MRS), SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY LED BY GLORIA
AKUFFO (MS), ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

AKUFFO
CJ (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, YEBOAH JSC, BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, BENIN
JSC, KOTEY JSC<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

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

</div>AKUFFO,
CJ:-<o:p></o:p>Brief
Background Facts<o:p></o:p>On 6th September 2016, the Plaintiff,
in his capacity as a private citizen and a legal practitioner, pursuant to
Article 2 of the Constitution, commenced the action herein against the
Defendant seeking the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of article 14(3) of the
Constitution, 1992, a Saturday, a Sunday, a public holiday, anytime during a
civil unrest and any other day that the courts in Ghana cannot sit (e.g. during
strike by judicial service staff or during a strike by any other stakeholder
that will prevent the court from sitting) would be counted in reckoning the 48
hours within which a person arrested or detained on suspicion of committing a
crime and not released must be brought before a court under article 14(3) of the
Constitution of Ghana, 1992.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of article 14(3) of the
Constitution, 1992, section 4 of the Public Holidays Act, 2001 (Act 601) is
inconsistent with article 14(3) and is void to the extent of that inconsistency
only.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that the Government of Ghana is in breach of article 14(3) of the
Constitution of Ghana, 1992 for not taking steps to ensure that some courts are
opened on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays for arrestees whose 48 hours
of incarceration expire on the aforementioned days are brought to court for the
court to determine the validity of their incarceration and to enable the
arrestee to apply for bail.<o:p></o:p>4.