KANGAH & ANOTHER V. KYERE & OTHERS

TAYLOR J.S.C.

This is a chieftaincy suit commenced by a petition headed, “In the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs.” The matter came before the chieftaincy tribunal of the said house and they have referred the suit to us for an opinion as to whether or not they have jurisdiction to entertain the suit having regard to the apparent forum selected by the petitioners. The petitioners claim to be joint heads of the Abrashiem Ebiradzi family of Sekondi duly elected by the five houses of the family and properly authorised to convene a meeting of the said family for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the vacant paramount stool of the Sekondi Traditional Area.

They claim in their petition that their status and authority have been confirmed by the findings of a number of committees of inquiry and the judgments of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, the National House of Chiefs and the Court of Appeal. They said that though the family had not met to nominate a ca…