IN RE DICKSON ALIAS APPAH (DECD.); ABOAGYE AND ANOTHER vs. QUAYSON AND ANOTHER [1984]DLHC9288

Date	1984-12-04
Suit No.	[1989-90] 1 GLR 147
Citation No.	[1984]DLHC9288

OMARI-SASU J.

ADDAE ABOAGYE FOR THE APPLICANTS.

A. B. CHINEBUAH FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1984]DLHC9288</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="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">IN RE DICKSON ALIAS APPAH
(DECD.); ABOAGYE 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"><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">QUAYSON 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">[HIGH COURT,<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">1989-90</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">] 1 GLR 147&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; DATE:
4<sup>TH </sup>DECEMBER, 1984<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-left:0cm;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">ADDAE
ABOAGYE FOR THE APPLICANTS.<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-left:0cm;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.
B. CHINEBUAH FOR THE RESPONDENTS.<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">OMARI-SASU</span><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;letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span><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">J.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></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:4.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:
0cm;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">JUDGMENT
OF OMARI-SASU J.<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.5pt;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
is an application by Madam Janet Aboagye and Madam Pauline Sarpong to be joined
as co-administratrices of the estate of Joseph William Dickson alias Kwesi
Appah (deceased) who died intestate on 17 January 1985. According to the
affidavits sworn to by the two applicants, each of them was married by the
deceased according to Akan customary law at Duayaw Nkwanta in 1975 and each of
them has four minor children with the deceased. The present application
therefore seeks the joinder of these two widows in their own right and also on
behalf of their respective infant<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.3pt;margin-right:5.8pt;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
application has been opposed by the joint administrators, being the customary
successor and a child of the deceased, who were on 26 March 1986 granted
letters of administration by this court presided over by my brother Hayfron J.
The only reason for the objection is that the head of family of the deceased
considers the applicants to be only concubines and not widows of the deceased
in as much as no relative of the deceased joined in the performance of the
alleged marriage ceremonies of the present applicants as Fanti custom<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>demands.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.25pt;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">The
only question to answer here is, is it necessary that relatives of a male Fanti
should be present or consent to his marrying any woman before the marriage is
validated? Sarbah in his book Fanti Customary Law (3rd ed.) states at 47 as
follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.25pt;margin-right:5.8pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:33.35pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">“When a man intends to have
a woman for his wife, he applies to her family, asks her to be given in
marriage, by taking to the family, according to his means two flasks of rum, or
two ackirs of gold dust . . . or 4 or 6 ackirs according to his means. Upon
this, if the family approve, they agree to give the woman. This request and the
consent with the first present alone make a valid<span style="letter-spacing:
-.05pt"> </span>marriage.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:8.15pt;margin-right:5.8pt;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">(The
emphasis is mine.) This passage from Sarbah which was originally applicable to
Fantis has now been given universal application by our Court of Appeal as the
essential requirements of a valid customary marriage in Ghana: see Asumah v.
Khair [1959] G.L.R. 353,<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>C.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:4.5pt;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">From
the foregoing I hold that it has never been and it is no essential requirement
that a Fanti man marrying a non-Fanti woman should of necessity go with a
relative of his or be present at the marriage ceremony before his marriage to
the non-Fanti be valid.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.15pt;margin-right:5.8pt;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">I
notice also that in the “Oath of administration not with will annexed” which
the two administrators swore to on 29 January 1986 before they were granted
letters of administration, the joint-administrators stated (inter<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>alia):<o:p></o:p></spa</main>