KNUDSEN vs. KNUDSEN [1975]DLCA398

Date	1975-12-05
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1975]DLCA398

LASSEY J.A

AMISSAH J.A

FRANCOIS J.A.

R. K. KORSAH FOR THE APPELLANT.

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1975]DLCA398
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KNUDSEN <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>KNUDSEN<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1976] 1 GLR 204<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:
5 DECEMBER 1975.<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">

R. K. KORSAH FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE 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">

LASSEY, AMISSAH AND FRANCOIS JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF AMISSAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is
case began by a wife, Mrs. Christiana Knudsen, filing a petition for divorce
from her husband, Peter Knudsen. Mrs. Knudsen is a Ghanaian. Her husband is a
medical doctor by profession and Danish by nationality. There are three
children of the marriage-two boys, Eric and Henry, aged at the time the
petition was filed on 21 October 1973, sixteen and twelve years respectively
and a girl, Mary then aged fifteen.<o:p></o:p>In her
petition, the wife after the usual recitals stated:<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">“(4) That
without any cause whatsoever the respondent has expressed the desire that he no
longer wants the petitioner and that they should execute a deed of separation.
(5) That in view of matters stated in paragraph (4) above, the petitioner
cannot live with the respondent again.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This was
the sole cause which the wife disclosed for her seeking the divorce. By an
affidavit which accompanied the petition, the wife swore that the facts
contained in paragraph (4) of her petition were true and that the statement
contained in paragraph (5) was true to the best of her knowledge.<o:p></o:p>In his
answer, the husband set out in great detail the reasons why he could no longer
live with the wife. Having regard to the course taken by the case subsequently
it is of some importance that these matters be set out in full. The relevant
part of the answer is as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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) In
answer to paragraph (4) of the petition, the respondent admits discussing
executing a deed of separation with the petitioner because for many years now,
the petitioner has been behaving in such a way that the respondent cannot
reasonably be expected to live with the petitioner. <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
right from the early days of the marriage, the petitioner made it difficult and
embarrassing for him to do his work as a practising doctor. <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">(9) That
between 1958-1962, the respondent was subjected to nagging and a two-hour
sermon of damnation in the night from the petitioner any time the petitioner
saw the respondent talking to the female nurses on his staff at Tafo Hospital. <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">(10) That
the petitioner on many occasions, called at the hospital and openly accused the
nurses of flirting with the respondent. <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">(11) That
while they were at Tafo, it became the habit of the petitioner to try to
prevent the respondent from going out or going on his hunting expeditions and
in 1960, the petitioner set fire to the respondent’s hunting equipment. <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">(12) That
as a result of the petitioner’s behaviour, the respondent had no peace of mind
and could not work at Tafo and had to leave Ghana for Denmark. <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-</main>