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High Court of Solomon Islands |
HIGH COURT OF SOLOMON ISLANDS
Civil Case No. 224 of 2001
HAROLD HILLI
(As Representative of himself and
Family and Members of Nono Tribe)
assclass="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> 00"> v
LETIPIKO BALESI And Others
High urt Of Solomon Islands
Before: Frank O. Kabui, J
Civil Case No: 224 of 2001
Date of Hearing: 27
November 2001 Date of Judgment: 04th December 2001
Mr. D. Hou for the Plaintiff
Mr. J. Apaniai for the 1st - 4th Defendants
Mr. P. Tegavota for the 6th Defendant
JUDGMENT
to which a Survey Report, �Exhibit �A� was attached.
Finding by the Court
ass="MsoNormal" sal" style="margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> The interim injunction order sought by the Pthe Plaintiffs in their exparte Notice of Motion filed on 15th August 2001 is in the following terms-
1. &nnbsp;;&nspp;&nsp; &nsp; ... ... ... ... ... .... ... .../spannt>
2. & 2. ... .. ........ .. ... .... ... ...
3. Anninjun tiotraesing nhe 4the 4th and 6th defendants, their servants or agents or otherwise from further enteNono and/o d andsaid tered and/lling extracting and and removremoving ing timbetimber fror from them the said said land.�
> 4. &nnsp;&&nsp;;Fuspher to otho other orders deem fit by the court.
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00"> 5.  p;&nssp; And that the costs of this this application be costs in the cause.
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classclass="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> 6 &bsp; ;&nbssp;&nbp; &nsp; r beeadjourned do a date tote to be fixed by the Registrar.span "EN-GB" styl style="foe="font-sint-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0pt">
�...That the 4th and 6th defendants, their servants or agents or otherwise be restrained from further entering Nono land as edged red on the map exhibited as �A� herein and/or Ose land and the registered land described as parcel No. 143-0081-1 as coloured in blue and green respectively on the said map for the purposes of felling, extracting, removing timber and/or round logs from the said land�...
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Again, its about Nono Land, Ose Land Land and Parcel No. 143-008-1. By Summons filed on 25th October 2001, the 6th Defendant sought a number of orders, one of which was in the following terms-
..." 1. That paragraph 2 of nhe im erim order dated the 24th August 2001 be set aside, and or in the alternative order be set aside.
2. &nbs; &nbbsp;&&nbp; &nsp; &nbbp;&n��p; �. 0"> & nbsp;
3. &nnbsp; &nnbsp; That thet the plainplaintiff pays the costs of this application.
4. & 4. That tur coo g tnt sach otch other or further orders as it sees fit�...
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Again, it refers to the interim injunctive oive order of 24th August 2001 which is about Nono Land, Ose Land and Parcel No. 143-008-1. In my ruling on 6th November 2001, I discharged the interim order of 24th August 2001 which meant that the interim injunctive order would no longer be in effect as regards Nono Land, Ose Land and Parcel No. 143-008-1. This is all clearly set out in my ruling on 6th November 2001. In support of his application, Mr. Hou cited Liliau v Trading Company (Solomons) Limited (No. 2) [1983] S.I.L.R 40, Eagon Resources Development Co. Ltd v Marabatu (Civil Case No. 220/1997), Shell Company (Pacific Islands) Limited v Korean Enterprises Limited (Civil Case No. 323/1997), Samson Siamakana v Pirivoroso and Others (Civil Case No. 253/1999) and Aerolifit International Limited v Mahoe Heli-Lift (Solomon Islands) Limited and Others (Civil Case No. 387/1995). All these authorities were reviewed by Palmer, J. in the Aerolift case cited above. Mr. Hou also cited Order 30, rule 11 and Order 43, rule 3 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 1964 (the High Court Rules). These orders and rules were also the subject of comment by Palmer, J. in His Lordship's judgment delivered on 25th September 2001 in the Aerolift case above. At pages 2-3, Palmer, J. said,
�...The juri jurisdiction of the court to recall and reconsider its decision with regards to this case is vested in Order 43 rule 3 of the Rules (see Liliau's case (Daly CJ) at page 42�43), not Order 30 rule 11. Rule 11 of Order 30 deal with the correction of clerical mistakes and accidental omissions. Rule 3 of Order 43 gives the court in my respectful view much more than simply correcting clerical mistakes or accidental omissions. It gives the court power to recall an order that it has made but before perfection and have it reconsidered either on its own motion or on application. Of-course this discretion is to be exercised judicially�... assclass="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> With these remarksgree. (Also see my judgmentgment in Yee Bing Store Limited v Yvette Miu Pong Yuen as Executrix of the will of Henry Ta Tong Yee deceased Civil Case NO. 12/1997). None of the authorities cited by Mr. Hou is in his favour. In Liliau�s case, the issue was that Daly, C.J made �a no order� for costs following a discussion with Counsel for both parties. That is, the matter of costs had been raised but not pursued by Counsel. However, a change of mind had taken place and an application for costs was then filed that same day the �no cost order� was made. The matter was reopened and the Court dealt with it as requested. In the Eagon�s case, there had been a mistake in the calculation of costs. The Court allowed that mistake to be corrected. In the Shell Company�s case, there had been a mistake of fact that a licence did exist covering the use of the pipeline. In rejecting the Plaintiff s application, Muria, C.J. at page 2 of His Lordship�s judgment said,
��In the present application, crux of the plafs case is that the judgment was wrong because it wast was made contrary to the agreed facts and basing on a Licence which was said to be non-existent. That, if anything, is an attack on the substance as well as the correctness of the judgment. With respect, that must surely be outside the application of Order 30 rule11 of the High Court Rules. Equally, it would be an improper use of the inherent jurisdiction of the Court to correct its own judgment where the challenge is to the very basis on the judgment�...
Theimakana�s case is different from this case on the factsfacts and is therefore irrelevant. The only common that runs feature through these authorities cited by M Hou is the fact that Order 30 and Order 43, of the High Court Rules had been discussed or referred to the judgments delivered in them Apart from that common feature, they are of no help to the Applicant�s case. There was no mistake of any sort in the ruling I made on 6th October 2001. The discharge of the interim injunction in respect of Nono Land, Ose Land and Parcel No. 143-008-1 was my intention. It was the correct expression of my intention. If the Applicant was not happy with the correctness of my intention, they must appeal or somehow set it aside. They cannot force me to change my mind by resorting to the use of Order 30 and Order 43 of the High Court Rules. The fact that a road had encroached into Parcel No. 143-008-1, a fact revealed only by a survey report conducted after my ruling on 6th October 2001 cannot be used to alter that ruling. That fact was not before me on 27th August 2001 when I heard the Summons filed by the 6th Defendant. I do not in any way dispute that fact of the road encroachment into Parcel No. 143-008-1 but I do say that it is a fact that may entitle the Applicant to file a fresh application for an injunction. It cannot be a reason for dislodging the discharge of the interim injunction. The allegation that the Plaintiffs did not at the hearing on 27th August 2001, expressly ask that the injunction be discharged in respect of Ose Land and Parcel No. 143-008-1 should have prevented the Court from discharging the interim injunction would be a misunderstanding of the true position. There was no doubt that the cards were on the table and had to be played. The 6th Defendant by his Summons demanded that the interim injunction be discharged in its entirety. There can be no doubt that the discharge of the interim injunction was meant to cover Nono Land, Ose Land and Parcel No. 143-008-1. There was more than enough evidence to show at the hearing that there was no case for keeping the interim injunction in force. There was no reason at that time to do so. This case does not fall within the ambit of Order 30, rule 11 nor within the ambit of Order 43, rule 3 of the High Court Rules. The Applicant�s application is dismissed with costs.
p classclass="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1; margin-bottom: 1"> F. O. Kabui
Judge
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