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KATZ v. ARMON AND ANOTHER

October 20, 1967

HIGH COURT

GHANA

Areas of Law

  • Civil Procedure
  • Tort Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Public international law

AI Generated Summary

Following a car accident on 26 February 1967 in Accra, Sara Katz, through her next friend, Hanan Katz, sued Yechiel Armon and First Secretary Shlomo Armon of the Embassy of Israel, seeking N¢10,000 damages for injuries allegedly caused by Yechiel’s negligent driving while acting as servant or agent of Shlomo. The defendants entered conditional appearance and moved to set aside service for want of jurisdiction, asserting diplomatic immunity supported by Ghana Government diplomatic identity cards and a Ministry letter. Anterkyi J. held the Ministry’s letter and an August 1967 diplomatic list were not conclusive proof of recognized status at the material time. More fundamentally, interpreting Ghana’s Diplomatic Immunities Act, 1962 alongside the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, 1958, the court reasoned that effecting compulsory third‑party insurance constitutes compliance with Ghanaian law and amounts to an express waiver of immunity for adjudication enabling third‑party indemnification. Citing Engelke v. Musmann and Sultan of Johore, the court rejected use of diplomatic privilege to thwart justice, dismissed the application, and awarded costs.

JUDGMENT