IN RE COLE (DECD.); CUDJOE vs. COLE [1977]DLCA1329

Date	1977-05-16
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1977]DLCA1329

ARCHER JA

ANIN JA

HAYFRON-BENJAMIN J.A.

R. S. BLAY (WITH HIM ENCHILL) FOR THE APPELLANT.

A. FORSON FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1977]DLCA1329
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >IN RE COLE (DECD.); CUDJOE <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>COLE <o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, SEKONDI]<o:p></o:p>[1977] 2 GLR 305<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
16 MAY 1977<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. S. BLAY (WITH HIM ENCHILL) FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

A. FORSON 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">

ARCHER, ANIN AND HAYFRON-BENJAMIN JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ARCHER J.A.<o:p></o:p>Archer
J.A. delivered that judgment of the court. John Cole was a Sierra Leonian by
nationality who worked with the Ghana Railways at Takoradi until he retired and
later became a timber contractor. During his lifetime he had several wives according
to customary law with some of whom he had many children. In 1960, he became ill
on account of a stroke and he remained a sick person until he died on 2 July
1967.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Before
his death, he had given instructions to a licensed letter-writer, Charles Moses
Edwards, to Prepare his will which was executed by him on 21 November 1966. By
this will, he appointed Lawrence Cudjoe, the present appellant, and one Dolly
Cole Ashun as executor and executrix respectively.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 1
November 1967, the present respondent, S. J. Cole, who claimed to be a nephew
of the late John Cole (being the son of the deceased’s sister) entered a
caveat. Subsequently an application for probate of the will was filed. In view
of the caveat, it became necessary to prove the will in solemn form and
accordingly pleadings were ordered. The appellant claimed to be a duly
appointed executor under the will of the deceased whereas the respondent in his
statement of defence averred, inter alia: that (1) the signature on the will
was not that of the late John Cole; (2) that the late John Cole was so
completely paralysed and incapable of speech that he could not have dictated
instructions for his will and could not have held a pen to sign his name; (3)
in the alternative there was undue influence exerted on the deceased by the
deceased’s son-in-law, one J. E. Roman, whose close friend and confidant was C.
W. Edwards who drafted the will; and (4) the said will was not properly
attested.<o:p></o:p>The
issues set down for trial were:<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">(i) Whether or not John Cole (deceased)
did execute his last will;<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">(ii) Whether or not the said will
was attested;<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">(iii) Whether or not the late
John Cole was capable of executing his will when he so executed it;<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">(iv) Whether or not there was any
undue influence from J. E. Roman in the execution of the said will by John Cole
(deceased);<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">(v) Whether or not the plaintiff
or the defendant has locus standi.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>After
hearing evidence from both parties, the learned trial judge, sitting at the
High Court, Sekondi, declared the will invalid on the grounds that the deceased
on account of his stroke did not have the mental and physical capacity to
execute a will; and that the will was not properly attested and thirdly, that
the will was prepared and executed under circumstances which gave rise to “some
sort of suspicion” which the appellant had failed to remove.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>