HUGHES vs. HUGHES

The petitioner, husband, seeks dissolution of his marriage with the respondent on the sole ground that the marriage has broken down beyond reconciliation. He says that the respondent has deserted him; that she has behaved in such a way that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with her; that the spouses after diligent efforts have been unable to reconcile their differences. The parties were married at the St. Stephens Church, Hampstead, London, England, on 30 March 1957. They lived and cohabited in London and later in Accra. There are two children of the marriage, Augustus aged fifteen years and Horatio aged fourteen years. For the conduct of the respondent to amount to desertion the court must be satisfied that it is an unjustifiable withdrawal from cohabitation without the consent of the petitioner and that she has the intention of remaining separated permanently from him. The petitioner says that the respondent’s leaving him was without just cause. It is not de.....