RIBEIRO vs. RIBEIRO [1988]DLCA9293

Date	1988-07-28
Suit No.	[1987-88] 2 GLR 464
Citation No.	[1988]DLCA9293

ABBAN JSC

OSEI-HWERE J.A

LAMPTEY J.A

P. A. ADJETEY FOR THE APPELLANT.

W. FUGAR FOR THE RESPONDENT

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1988]DLCA9293</p>
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<p class="MsoTitle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">&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;&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;<span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;color:#00B0F0">RIBEIRO<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoTitle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">&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;&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;<span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;color:#00B0F0">RIBEIRO<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:-.95pt;text-align:center;
tab-stops:159.3pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">[COURT
OF APPEAL,<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.65pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.65pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">P. A. ADJETEY FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.65pt;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;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">W. FUGAR FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.65pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">ABBAN JSC, OSEI-HWERE J.A, LAMPTEY<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>J.A<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:.65pt;text-align:center;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div>

<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.5pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">The
parties to the appeal were married for several years but the marriage was
dissolved on the petition of the wife by the High Court, Accra on 16 January
1981.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.05pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">In
the petition for divorce the respondent (hereafter called the wife-petitioner)
had prayed for certain ancillary reliefs, one of which was an order for
maintenance with which, in her subsequent application, she included provision
for<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>accommodation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.15pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">That
subsequent application was filed on 19 March 1981. In it, as stated by the
learned High Court judge in his ruling, “she claimed for the return of her
properties, maintenance and provision for accommodation.” Apart from various
affidavits filed in support of and in opposition to the application, both the
wife-petitioner and the husband, the appellant herein, led oral evidence in
addition. At the end of the day, the learned High Court judge found as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.35pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:105%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">“From
the evidence before me I am satisfied that the respondent [husband] owns more
than ten houses which were all acquired during the subsistence of the marriage.
Even though there is no direct evidence of contribution by the applicant for
the acquisition of those houses, I think her devotedness to her duties as a
house-wife and her invaluable services rendered to the respondent [husband] in
looking after the home, the children, some of whom were not the children of the
marriage, entitled her to enjoyment of the houses which her husband acquired
during the marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.35pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:105%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">The
learned High Court judge finally ordered that one of the houses, that is house
No 153/3, Ring Road, Accra, popularly known as Haulage House, “be conveyed to
the applicant [wife-petitioner] by way of settlement.” This order was the
subject of the present appeal. It may be noted that the learned High Court
judge, in addition to the above order, ordered the husband-appellant to pay a
lump sum of ¢150,000 and to “release to the applicant [wife-petitioner]
properties listed in exhibit A.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="margin: 8.55pt -0.95pt 0.0001pt 0cm;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Originally, the lump
sum awarded was also appealed against. But at the hearing of the appeal, the
first<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p>

</p><div class="WordSection2">

<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">ground
of appeal which complained about the said order was not argued. It was the
second ground of appeal, which was forcefully argued by learned counsel for the
appellant. That is, the learned High Court judge-<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.25pt;margin-right:-.95pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:105%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">“erred
in </main>