QUARTEY vs. QUARTEY AND ANOTHER [1972]DLHC2411

Date	1972-06-30
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1972]DLHC2411

KINGSLEY-NYINAH J.A.

S. K. TETTEH FOR THE PETITIONER.

E. N. MOORE FOR THE RESPONDENT.

HAROLD DARKO WITH HIM MARTIN AYISI FOR THE CO-RESPONDENT.

[1972]DLHC2411
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >QUARTEY<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p>QUARTEY AND ANOTHER <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1972]
1 GLR 6<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
30 JUNE 1971.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

S. K. TETTEH FOR THE PETITIONER.<o:p></o:p>

E. N. MOORE FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

HAROLD DARKO, WITH HIM MARTIN AYISI, FOR THE
CO-RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

KINGSLEY-NYINAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF KINGSLEY-NYINAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>The
parties this cause were joined together as husband and wife in holy wedlock at
the Ridge Church, Accra, on 26 December 1964. Prior to that ceremony the
respondent-wife had been customarily married to the petitioner-husband in 1957.
Some four years after the solemnisation of their marriage, and exactly four
children later, the husband presented this petition seeking for a dissolution
of this union upon the single, urgent and serious ground of adultery against
his wife, the mother of his children, his petition averring inter alia as
follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(7) That
the respondent has since the celebration of the marriage committed adultery
with the co-respondent, Plockey. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(8) That
on 18 January 1966, the respondent committed adultery with the co-respondent at
Asylum Down, Accra.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>After he
had made clear these particulars as to the date and place of this grave
matrimonial offence, the petitioner sought to set the seal of authority upon
his allegations with the following statement, “(9) That the respondent
hereafter confessed the said adultery to your petitioner.”<o:p></o:p>The
respondent-wife, of course, by her answer stoutly denied these allegations in
the following terms:<o:p></o:p>“(5) That
she denies paragraphs (7) and (8) of the petition. (6) That on 18 January 1966,
the co-respondent gave her a lift and she went to a house at Asylum Down but
denies anything improper took place at the said house.<o:p></o:p>(7) That
she admits paragraph (9) of the petition but says the alleged confession made
in writing was obtained by duress.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Explaining
the form of that duress, the respondent averred that, “when she refused to
admit having committed adultery with the co-respondent the petitioner set upon
her and beat her severely” behind closed doors. Wherefore, “in order to avoid
further assaults on her she wrote a confession dictated to her by the
petitioner.” Added to all this, the respondent cross-petitioned for a
dissolution of her marriage with the petitioner on the very same ground charged
by her husband, namely, adultery with Miss Martha Abbey, the woman-named.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Thus was
issue well and truly joined between this man, Albert Kwartei, and this woman,
Phyginia Baaba, and this court is called upon to determine whether or not the
parties’ allegations have been proved, and which of them, the husband or the
wife, should be entitled to succeed upon their separate actions.<o:p></o:p>