IN RE KWANTSIWAH (CAVEATRIX); KWANTSIWAH vs. EFFIRIM-BOTCHEY AND ANOTHER [1968]DLCA9289

Date	1968-12-16
Suit No.	[1968] GLR 1114
Citation No.	[1968]DLCA9289

AKUFO-ADDO C.J.

OLLENNU J.A

AMISSAH J.A

J. ARTHUR FOR THE APPELLANT.

A. FORSON FOR THE RESPONDENT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1968]DLCA9289</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;color:#00B0F0">IN RE KWANTSIWAH
(CAVEATRIX); KWANTSIWAH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center;
line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
color:#00B0F0">EFFIRIM-BOTCHEY AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">[COURT OF APPEAL,<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;
border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">[</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">1968</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">] GLR 1114&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</b>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
16<sup>TH </sup>DECEMBER, 1968<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">J.
ARTHUR FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">A. FORSON FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">AKUFO-ADDO
C.J., OLLENNU J.A, AMISSAH J.A</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div><h2 style="margin-top:.05pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:
0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">JUDGMENT OF OLLENNU J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.45pt;margin-right:5.75pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">This
appeal is from an order of the High Court, Sekondi, removing a caveat entered
by the appellant against a marriage intended to be celebrated under the
Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 127 (1951 Rev.), in the Methodist Church, Sekondi,
between the respondent and one Madam Beatrice Mensah. The caveat was entered in
pursuance of section 24(1) (a) of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 127 (1951 Rev.),
by notice served upon the superintendent minister of the church. The grounds of
her objection to the marriage are contained in an affidavit sworn to by the
caveatrix on 4 April 1966, a copy of which was served upon the respondent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.35pt;margin-right:5.85pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Section
25 (1) of the Ordinance provides that whenever a caveat is entered, the
marriage officer, in this case the superintendent minister of the Methodist
Church, Sekondi, “shall without delay refer the matter to a Judge.” It is not
clear on the record how the caveat came to the notice of the court. However the
endorsements on the affidavit of the caveatrix show that a copy of it was to be
served upon the superintendent minister of the Sekondi circuit of the Methodist
Church, and copy of it upon the registrar of the High Court. On 3 May 1966, the
respondent filed in the High Court, an affidavit sworn to by him on the same
day, in opposition to the caveat. On the same 3 May 1966, the High Court,
acting in pursuance of section 25(3)&nbsp; of
the Ordinance, issued summons upon the parties to the intended marriage and
upon the caveatrix, the appellant, to appear on 5 May 1966, and calling upon
the caveatrix to show cause why the marriage should not<span style="letter-spacing:
-.05pt"> </span>proceed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.35pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">In
his return of service, the bailiff stated that he was unsuccessful in effecting
service upon the caveatrix, and that he was told by an inmate of her house at
Apam that she had travelled and it was not known when she would return. Upon
the case being called, the learned judge removed the caveat, and said: “It is
strange that the caveatrix has not found it fit to prosecute her caveat. If she
were keen she would have followed it up. I removed the caveat.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.15pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Two
grounds of appeal were filed, and were argued together they are:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.7pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:33.3pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">“(a)
That the learned judge was wrong in removing the caveat without hearing both
parties.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.7pt;margin-right:5.85pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:61.65pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-28.4pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;
The learned judge having been made aware that the caveatrix had not been
served with a hearing&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; notice he ought
not to have heard the case. The hearing was therefore a<span style="letter-spacing:
.1pt"> </span>nullity.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:8.05pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Section
25(2) and (3) of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap, 127, provide that:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.65pt;margin-right:5.8pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:61.65pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-28.4pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">“(2)&nbsp;&nbsp;
If a Judge is of opinion that no legal ground has been disclosed in the
caveat for forbidding the issue&nbsp;&nbsp; of the
certificate, he may remove the caveat in manner hereinafter prescribed without
requiring a</main>