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MARTIN KPEBU
V.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL

(2015) JELR 68939 (SC)

Supreme Court 1 Dec 2015 Ghana
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- Section 104(4) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), which permitted imprisonment of a surety for failure to pay a forfeited bail bond, was declared unconstitutional as it imposed criminal sanctions for a civi

Case Details

Suit Number:CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/7/2015
Judges:WOOD CJ (MRS) PRESIDING, ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC, DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, BENIN JSC, AKAMBA JSC
Counsel:MR. MARTIN KPEBU ESQ. FOR HIMSELF; WILLIAM KPOBI ESQ. CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT

JUDGEMENT

DOTSE JSC

This writ, is at the instance of the Plaintiff, a private Legal Practitioner and filed pursuant to article 2 (1) and 130 of the Constitution 1992 seeking the following relief:-

“On a true and proper interpretation of article 19 (11) and article 14 of the Constitution of Ghana 1992, section 104 (4) of the Criminal and other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), is inconsistent with the said articles and therefore unconstitutional.”

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS RELIED UPON

At this stage, I think it is pertinent to consider the constitutional and statutory provisions that are germane to this action.

Article 19 (11) of the Constitution 1992 provides as follows:-

“No person shall be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence is defined and the penalty for it is prescribed in a written law.”

Article 14 (1) of the Constitution 1992 also provides thus:

(1) “Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except …

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