[1959]DLSC2022 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">KWAN</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">NYIENI & ANOR.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family: "Helvetica Neue",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">COURT OF APPEAL]</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[1959] GLR 67</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"> </span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">DATE:</span><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"> </span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">26TH FEBRUARY, 1959.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">CORAM:</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">VAN LARE AG. C.J., GRANVILLE SHARP J.A., AND OLLENNU J.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT OF VAN LARE, AG. C.J.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Van Lare, Ag. C.J. delivered the judgment of the Court.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">This is a judgment of the Court in the preparation of which we all have participated. The appeal is from a judgment of Benson J. delivered on the 12th January, 1956 in the Land Court, Kumasi, in a suit which had been instituted in Kumasi West District Court “B”, Goaso, and which was transferred to the said Land Court by Order dated the 12th July, 1955 made by the Land Judge, Kumasi.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">(His lordship stated the facts, and proceeded):—</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">In our opinion a most significant inference to be drawn from the order of the Kumasi West District Court “B” is that Yaw Donkor, the caretaker of the family, should retain possession of the farms. It can also be inferred from that order, read together with the second order, that a declaration that the farms were not liable to be sold was clearly meant, though not specifically made. The reasons given by the Court for their order that the debt of £900 should be paid out of the proceeds of the farms show that the Court was doing justice in accordance with native custom, without interfering with the strict legal rights of the family in their property.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">We are unable to agree, however, with any of the reasons advanced in the judgment of the learned Judge. Counsel for the respondents, supporting the judgment, submitted that the declaration of native custom (that the appellant, not being the head of the family, is not competent to sue in respect of family property) is a correct statement of the custom. He argued that the only exception to that well established custom is in the case of interpleader suits where, under the Rules of