RUTH ARTHUR vs. JOHN HECTOR ANSAH & NAOMI OWUSU [2003]DLCA6941

Date	2003-07-31
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. 62/2002.
Citation No.	[2003]DLCA6941

OWUSU ANSAH J.A. (PRESIDING)

MISS OWUSU J.A

ANIM J.A

RUTH ARTHUR JA

MR. E. B. ODRO FOR RESPONDENT MR. PETER BOSOMPEM FOR APPELLANTS

[2003]DLCA6941
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >RUTH ARTHUR<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JOHN HECTOR ANSAH &amp; NAOMI OWUSU<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO. 62/2002.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 31ST JULY, 2003<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">MR.
E. B. ODRO FOR RESPONDENT MR. PETER BOSOMPEM FOR APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;OWUSU ANSAH J.A. (PRESIDING), MISS OWUSU J.A,
ANIM J.A, RUTH ARTHUR JA<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>OWUSU
ANSAH, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This is an appeal from the Judgment of the
High Court, Cape Coast, delivered on the 16th June, 2000. <o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff/Respondent ("Respondents") issued a Writ of Summons against
the Defendants/Appellants (hereinafter referred to simply as the
"Appellants") claiming the following reliefs.<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the Ordinance Marriage
celebrated between the 1st and 2nd Defendants on the 13th March, 1998 is
unlawful, null and void and of no effect in the light of the existing customary
marriage subsisting between the Plaintiff and 1st Defendant which has not been
dissolved. <o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order setting aside the Ordinance
Marriage between the Defendants.<o:p></o:p>c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the 1st Defendant's
conduct in contracting an Ordinance Marriage whilst a customary marriage
subsists between him and the Plaintiff constitutes bigamy. <o:p></o:p>d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order compelling the 1st Defendant to
restore the conjugal rights of the Plaintiff. It is not disputed that the
Plaintiff and the 1st Defendant contracted a Customary marriage about 30 years
prior to the institution of the Proceedings. They had seven children; five of
whom survived. <o:p></o:p>According
to the Plaintiff, the 1st Defendant introduced the 2nd Defendant to her as the
wife of his friend who had travelled abroad. Plaintiff subsequently got to know
(and this was confirmed by a search Exhibit 1) that the 1st Defendant had
married the 2nd Defendant under the Ordinance at the offices of the Cape Coast
Municipal Assembly, in spite of the subsistence of the Customary marriage
between her and the 1st Defendant. The 1st Defendant admits being married to
the Plaintiff in or about 1973 and has five children with her. <o:p></o:p>The
case for the 1st Defendant, however, is that the said customary marriage was
dissolved sometime in 1988 as a result of a misunderstanding over the loss of
¢1.75 million which eventually 1st Defendant said was ¢2.75 million meant for
his petroleum business. <o:p></o:p>It
is thus admitted that the 1st Defendant purported to marry the 2nd Defendant
under the ordinance on the 13th March, 1998.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The learned High Court judge Cape Coast found
in favour of the Plaintiff on the 16th June, 2000 and concluded that "the
customary marriage between John Hector Ansah and Ruth Arthur is still valid and
subsisting" and declared that "the ordinance marriage contracted
between John Hector Ansah 1st Defendant and Naomi Owusu the 2nd Defendant on
the 13th March 1998 is illegal, null and void and is set aside."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The court ordered that the relevant marriage
certificate be brought to the Court on or by the 23rd June, 2000 for it to be
destroyed.<o:p></o:p>