APPIAH II vs. BOAKYE [1994]DLSC709

Date	1994-02-01
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1994]DLSC709

FRANCOIS JSC

ABBAN JSC

AMUA-SEKYI JSC

AIKINS JSC

EDWARD WIREDU JSC

BAMFORD-ADDO JSC

CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN JSC

KODUAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

PETER A ADJETEY (WITH HIM WILLIAM ADDO) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT.

[1994]DLSC709
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">APPIAH II<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">BOAKYE<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1993-94] 1 GLR 417<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 1
February 1994<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KODUAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.<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">

PETER A ADJETEY (WITH HIM WILLIAM ADDO) FOR THE
PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

FRANCOIS, ABBAN, AMUA-SEKYI, AIKINS, EDWARD WIREDU, BAMFORD-ADDO
AND CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF ABBAN JSC<o:p></o:p>The Court of Appeal on 24 January 1991 reversed the ruling of the
High Court, Kumasi given in favour of the appellant-defendant (hereinafter
referred to as the defendant). It is against that decision of the Court of
Appeal that the defendant appealed to this court.<o:p></o:p>The respondent (hereinafter referred to as the plaintiff) by his
writ of summons claimed:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a).&nbsp; “A declaration that one Yaw
Manu (Decd) late of Abenase-Ejisu and Yaw Mensah (Decd) late of Abenase-Ejisu,
the uterine brothers of the defendant, were members of the plaintiff’s maternal
family. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">(b).&nbsp;
A declaration that consequent upon a statutory declaration by the
defendant, of unknown date, by which the defendant renounced any or all family
ties with the plaintiff, the properties of Yaw Manu (Decd) and Yaw Mensah
(Decd) which became the family properties of the plaintiff and which were
handed over to the defendant as customary successor of the said late Yaw Mensah
should be surrendered by the defendant to the plaintiff.”<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff sued as the Head of the maternal family of one
Kwabena Dua Agyemang of the Asenie clan of Abenase village in the Ejisu
Traditional Area. He alleged in his statement of claim that the defendant and
his uterine brothers—Yaw Manu and Yaw Mensah both deceased—were children of one
Adwoa Tawiah, and the latter, Adwoa Tawiah, was a slave and was purchased into
the plaintiff’s family. So by virtue of the said purchase the defendant’s
mother became a member of the plaintiff’s family and so the defendant and his
deceased brothers also became members of the said family.<o:p></o:p>It was further alleged by the plaintiff that the defendant was
customarily appointed by the plaintiff’s family to succeed to the properties of
his two uterine brothers—Yaw Manu and Yaw Mensah—both of whom died intestate
and were buried at Abenase.<o:p></o:p>In paragraph (9) of the statement of claim the plaintiff pleaded
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">“(9) On some date in 1976, which is not known to the plaintiff,
the defendant hereto in an affidavit made a statutory declaration to the effect
that the defendant and his brothers and sisters hailed from Mampong, Ashanti
and that the defendant mother belonged to the Bretuo clan. The defendant in
effect denounced that the defendant was a member of the plaintiff family. <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) Consequently, the plaintiff hereto has commenced this action
seeking the declarations set out in the writ of summons hereto.”<o:p></o:p>In his statement of defence the defendant denied the plaintiff
capacity to sue in the first place; he further disputed that the plaintiff
brought the action for and on behalf of the plaintiff’s family as alleged the
statement of claim. The relevance of these denials will be seen in due course.<o:p></o:p>