9/16/2020
NATIONAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION V AMOS SIEH SIEBO-MOTION TO DISMISS-FINAL JUDGMENT –
of the appeal. The respondent/appellant, in pursuing his appeal,
was obligated by law to take the outmost care to ensure that the
mandatory provisions of the statute are strictly complied with
and thereby alleviate the risk of dismissal of the appeal. The
Supreme Court in a plethora of Opinions has held that:
“for in as much as the Court has repeatedly expressed its strong
preference for deciding cases on its merit and, consequently, is
hesitant to dismiss a case by reason of a mere technicality it is
very important that an appellant, in pursuing an appeal takes the
out-most care to ensure that the statute is strictly complied with;
that the Counsel for the appellant must continuously and
meticulously examine the appeal statute and make sure that it is
complied with to the letter and to the full intent of the Legislature
as the Court is not prepared to sacrifice the appeal statute or
turn a blind eye to accommodate the errors of the appellant in
perfecting his appeal. To the converse, the position of the
Supreme Court has been strict compliance; and any omission in
fulfilling the requirements enounced in the appeal statute is
deemed fatal and a warranty for the dismissal of the appeal as
the Supreme Court has been un-waving and uncompromising in
its position that non-compliance with the mandatory statutory
requirements for appeal cannot be deemed as mere technicality
and that a case will in fact be dismissed where there are
violations of the substantive statutory requirements by the
appellant.” Hussenni v. Brumskine, Supreme Court Opinion,
March Term, A. D. 2013.
In view of the principle of the laws cited herein, the failure of the
respondent/appellant to complete his appeal within the three
days’ time frame stipulated by Compilation of Regulations, Part
III, Article 11, and considering that the motion to dismiss is in
consonance with the law and that the Court is wanting the
required jurisdiction to entertain a hearing into the merits of the
appeal to determine if the Board of Commissioners was in error
in confirming the ruling of the Nomination Committee, the motion
is hereby granted and the respondent/appellant’s appeal is
ordered dismissed.
WHEREFORE, and in view of the foregoing, it is the holding of
this Court that the motion to dismiss the appeal should be and
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