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Tongarutu v Talasasa [1998] SBHC 44; HC-CC 286 of 1997 (25 September 1998)

class="MsoNormal"rmal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> HIGH COURT OF SOLOMON ISLA ISLANDS

Civil Case No. 286 of 1997

NUATALI A. TONGARUTU And FIONA M. HILLY & ANOTHER

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class=lass="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> J.W. TALASASA,
R. R. BIKU, COMMISSIONER OF LANDS, G. KIKO, And
SOLOMON TAIO LIMITED

High Court of Solomon Islands
Before Muria, ria, C.J.
Civil Case No. 286 of 1997

Hearing: 27 August 1998
Ruling: 25ember 1998

C. Ashley for Applicants
R.utao for 1st, 2nd & 4th; 4th Respondents
B. Titiulu for 3rd Respondent
L. Tepai for 5th Respondent

MURIA CJ: This application is made on behalf of the first. second and fourth respondent seeking to strike out the Originating Summons and Summons filed by the applicants in this case. The basis for the application are that the amended Originating Summons filed on 8 May 1998 and amended ex parte Summons filed on 16 March 1998 are an abuse of the Court's process and that the High Court lacks jurisdiction to hear and determine them.

In support of the application. Counsel for the respondents relied on the affidavit filed by the first respondent. Counsel argued that the applicant who have failed to follow the statutory requirement of appealing against the Acquisition Officer's decision, now brought these proceedings as a "detour." I take Counsel's suggestion to be saying that the applicants being caught out of time to appeal against the Acquisition Officer's determination, have now brought these proceedings to challenge the Acquisition Officer's decision by another route. That. argued Counsel, is an abuse of the process of the Court. On the issue of lack of jurisdiction, Counsel for the said Respondents urged the Court to find that it has no jurisdiction to deal with the matters set out in paragraphs 4,5 and 6 of the Amended Originating Summons as they are matters of custom.

The issues raised by Counsel for the respondents in this application can be briefly disposed of. This Court has an inherent jurisdiction to prevent abuse of its process. Also the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 1964, make provisions to protect the process of the Court from being abused by empowering the Court to strike out pleadings and to dismiss actions which "disclose no reasonable cause of action" or which are "frivolous or vexatious." See O.27 r.4. In Selwyn Dika & Ors -v- David Lenga Somana, CC242/96 (Judgment delivered on 21/8/98) this Court stated:

"There is power both under the Rules and in the inhe inherent jurisdiction of the Court to strike out pleadings which are vexatious or an abuse of the process of the Court and to dismiss the action. This inherent power has been extended to protect the Court from the abuse of its powers by litigants."

class="Mso="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> In so stating, the Court adopted and applied the cases of Reichel -v- Magrath, 14 App. Cas. 665 and Metrop. Bank -v- Pooley, 10 App. Cas. 210. However this coercive power of the Court must be exercised sparingly as pointed out by the Court of Appeal in Leslie Allinson -v- Monique Medlin, Civ. App. No. 7/96 (Judgment delivered on 15/4/97). The Court of Appeal adopting the remarks of Barwick CJ in General Steel Industries' Inc. -v- Commissioner for Railways (NSW) [1964] HCA 69; (1964) 112 CLR 125, said:

ass="Mso="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> "The jurisdiction summarily to terminate an action is to be sparingly employed and is not to be used except in a clear case where the Court is satisfied that it has the requisite material and the necessary assistance from the parties to reach a definite and certain conclusion.'

Similarly, this Court in Tatalu & Wanefaekwa -v- Lifuasi & Leaga, CC146/96 (Judgment given on 19/6/96) also sounded out the caution where Awich J. said:

"Striking out claim, and dismissing a case summarily is a drastic action by the Court and can only be done in very clear cases where the claim is baseless and does not disclose cause of action."

Tntention by Counsel for the respondents in the present case case is that the Court should exercise its coercive power summarily and strike out the applicants' action on the ground of abuse of the Court's process.

This action brought by the applicants challenging the Acquisition Officer's decision made pursuant to proceedings under section 63 of the Land and Titles Act. There is no dispute that the applicants have an interest in the proceedings conducted and the determination made by the Acquisition Officer in the subject matter of this case. They were among the persons who attended the hearing and gave evidence before the Acquisition Officer on 23 and 24 April 1997 at Munda. The determination was made on 25 April 1997. The applicants being aggrieved by the determination appealed to the Magistrates Court. The Notice of Appeal was dated 22 October 1997. It was however not received by the Magistrates Court until sometime on 3 March 1998. Clearly the applicants were out of time to appeal. The applicants, however, applied to the Magistrates Court for 'extension of time' to appeal, not ‘abridgement of time' as indicated in the Magistrates Court's decision of 20 May 1998. The Magistrates Court granted the extension of time. That appeal having been lodged, it is still pending before the Magistrates Court.

The position therefore must be that the applicants, being eing out of time to appeal pursuant to section 65(1) of the Land and Titles Act, were granted extension of time by the Magistrates Court to appeal and did appeal against the determination of the Acquisition Officer. That appeal is presently before the Magistrates Court. It is not therefore correct to suggest, as did so by Counsel for the respondents, that the applicants are bringing these proceedings as a 'detour', having failed to comply with the requirements of section 65 of the Land and Titles Act.

p class="Mso="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> Following on from the 'detour' argumenunsel for the respondents unts urged upon the Court the contention that having failed to follow the statutory period for appeal, resulting in their being out of time, the applicants were abusing the process of the Court by bringing this case by way of declaratory proceedings. The short answer to that is that the contention is misconceived. The appeal, although out of time, had been rectified and it is now pending before the Magistrate Court. Secondly, I do not think that it can be said that the applicants are obliged to pursue a remedy in private law, in preference to one in public law. It is of course a matter of discretion for the Court which may refuse a remedy in public law if a statutory right of appeal is not exercised. But this is not to say that a litigant is obliged to pursue his remedy in private law in preference to the one in public law. In R -v- Post Master-General ex. p. Carmichael [1928] 1 KB 291, the Court granted certiorari although there was open to the applicant, a remedy by way of appeal. See also R -v- Public Service Commission ex. p. Tiare [1984] SILR 80.

p class="Mso="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> The applicants have exercised their rights to seek remedy in this case both under statute and in public law. While their appeal before the Magistrates Court is still on foot, they have also brought these proceedings seeking declaratory orders. They have chosen to pursue these proceedings before this Court. I do not see anything wrong with the choice they have made nor do I see it as tantamount to an abuse of the process of the Court.

p class="Mso="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> Mr. Titiulu who appeared for the thirdondent suggest that in view view of the appeal now before the Magistrates Court this Court should stay these proceedings. I do not think so. The applicants may, depending on the outcome of these proceedings, decide whether or not to pursue their appeal before the Magistrates Court. The outcome of these proceedings will no doubt have a considerable effect on their decision.

The argument that the institutf these proceedings amount ount to an abuse of the Court's process cannot be sustained.

The next ground alleging the lack of jurisdiction in this Court to deal with matters raised in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 of the Amended Originating Summons can also be disposed of briefly. View in their isolation. paragraphs, 4, 5 and 6 may seem to be raising matters of custom in which case this Court lacks jurisdictions. However I do not see the Court is being asked to apply or interpret custom in this matter. This Court is being asked to review the determination made by the Acquisition Officer. The procedure by which he made his determination as well as the law applied in the Process are matters to be considered as well. The whole circumstances under which he determined who was and who was not entitled to execute the lease agreement over the concerned land must be considered. This is unlike the requirements to be followed had the matter been brought before this Court by way of appeal under section 65(2) of the Land and Titles Act in which case the Court will only restrict itself to an error of law.

Even if the matters raised in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 are concerned with custom and thereby depriving the High Court of jurisdiction to deal with them, their inclusion in the Originating Summons does not necessarily mean that the Court does not have jurisdiction to deal with the whole application. It may mean that the Court does not have powers to deal with matters contained in those paragraphs. That the Court can consider when it deals with the Originating Summons itself. But it cannot be said that because one or two matters concerning custom are raised in the Originating Summons. the Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the application altogether. This cannot be right.

The ground based on lack of jiction equally must fail alil also.

The application e first, second, and fourth respondents is refused with h costs.

ass="Mso="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> (Sir John Muria)
CH CHIEF JUSTICE


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