The meticulous Judge sitting at Adentan Circuit Court 1, Her Honour Angela Attachie, in proceedings in her Court on the 21st day of August, 2025 has sternly criticised clerks of the docket section of her Court for producing a false search report for Counsel in the case of Muhsinu Alhassan v Ebenezer Anum Shitey & Ors. (suit no. C1/103/2024).

Her Honour Angela Attachie, respected by lawyers and her Clerks for her diligence in docket review, timeous sittings and appreciation of Court rules descended on Court officers of the docket section when a search report issued from the Registry of the Court falsely indicated a Judgment in default of defence had been granted by the Court in the case called and being heard by her.

No default judgment

Her Honour the Presiding Judge discovered the falsity of the search report when Counsel for the Defendant/Applicant sought to move the Court to set aside its default judgment delivered in the matter. Counsel for the Plaintiff/Respondent was not opposed to the application but sought to have the heavy hand of the Court mulct the Applicant in cost.

Her Honour's attention was sharply brought to the said false report when she inquired about the subject matter of the case to which Counsel for the Respondent answered that it was a land matter. Surprised of the existence of a default judgment in a matter concerning land, Her Honour inqiured from the Bar if she personally delivered the said default judgment to which Counsel for the Applicant indicated the negative.

The interest of Her Honour was piqued. With a squint of her eyes and a face of surprise, the Judge inquired from Counsel for the Defendant/Applicant if he applied and sighted the interlocutory judgment in default of defence which he has applied to the Court for a setting aside. Counsel answered in the negative and said he filed a search in the Registry of the Court whereupon a judgment in default of defence with a date of the delivery of the said judgment was supplied in the search report.

Dont believe Court Clerks, verify for yourself

Her Honour the presiding Judge known in her regal life as Mama Bobi III of Ho Bankoe began her advice to the Bar when Counsel for the Defendant/Applicant indicated to the Court that he failed to apply for, and personally sight the said non-existent default judgment before applying to the Court to set aside same.

In a firm voice, Her Honour Attachie said, "don't believe them, apply and see it yourself". Her Honour immediately instructed her Court Clerks to fetch the Clerk under whose hand the said false search report was issued from the Court's Registry. While at that, the Court struck out the application of the Defendant/Applicant to set aside the nonexistent default judgment as withdrawn and ordered for the normal progression of the case.

Counsel for the Defendant/Applicant, seeking to dissuade the Court of any shortcomings on his part for due diligence on the said nonexistent default judgment suggested to Her Honour that the Court Clerks at the docket section of her Court's Registry are officers of the Court and thus, Lawyers should be able to rely on reports issued or issuing from them.

Apology

An officer of the Court at the docket section of the Court's Registry appeared before Her Honour with his hands placed behind him. The Court learned through the said Clerk that the culprit of the said false report had only newly joined the department.

Armed with knowledge of the inexperience of the offending docket section Clerk and still displeased with the false search report before her which is totally inaccurate from the processes on the docket before her, Her Honour told the present docket section Clerk in open Court, who appeared to be a superior of the offending Clerk not to "allow her do such things."

Her Honour added, in a firm voice, "don't fake search reports." The summoned Clerk apologised to the Court which apology failed to placate the Court as Her Honour instructed yet again for the very Clerk under whose hand the false search report issued from the registry of the Court.