MARY OKAILEY WELBECK vs. SIMON TACKIE WELBECK [2015]DLSC3229

Date	2015-06-17
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/45/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLSC3229

AKUFFO (MS.) JSC (PRESIDING)

GBADEGBE JSC

AKOTO BAMFO (MRS) JSC

BENIN JSC

AKAMBA

JSC

EDWARD SAM CRABBE ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT/APPELLANT.

GEORGE ABORGAH ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.

[2015]DLSC3229
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARY OKAILEY WELBECK<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SIMON TACKIE WELBECK<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT,
ACCRA]<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">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/45/2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 17TH
JUNE, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>EDWARD
SAM CRABBE ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT/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">

GEORGE
ABORGAH ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/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 1.0pt 0in">

AKUFFO
(MS.) JSC (PRESIDING), GBADEGBE JSC, AKOTO BAMFO (MRS) JSC, BENIN JSC, AKAMBA,
JSC<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</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="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AKAMBA, JSC:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiff/appellant (hereafter simply
referred to as ‘appellant’), and the defendant/respondent (hereinafter simply referred
to as ‘respondent’) are children of the testator, Joseph Ayikai Welbeck
(deceased). The appellant by an action initiated in the High Court, Accra,
sought a declaration that the will of their late father, executed on 17th
July 1997 was either forged or obtained by fraud. The court heard the suit and dismissed
the action on 22nd June 2011. It entered judgment in favour of the
respondent who is one of two named executors/trustees under the said will. &nbsp;The appellant invoked the appeal process only
for the Court of Appeal to similarly dismiss the appeal and to affirm the
decision of the trial court in its entirety in its decision of 14th
March 2013. Undeterred by the two unsuccessful bids, the appellant filed a
notice of appeal on 6th May 2013 for further redress by this court.<o:p></o:p>GROUNDS OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p>The appellant filed the following
grounds of appeal for the determination of this court, namely:<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “That the judgment is against the
weight of evidence.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That the Court of Appeal erred when it
held that the finding by the trial High Court Judge to the effect that the
signature on the will is that of the testator is supported by the evidence on
record.<o:p></o:p>(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That the Court of Appeal erred when it
held that whether the testator meant Nii Kasablofo II who died before the will
was made or Nii Kasablofo III is not material to affect the validity of the
will.<o:p></o:p>(d)&nbsp;&nbsp; That the Court of Appeal failed to
give adequate consideration to the evidence of CW1, the Police Forensic
Examiner, and erred in disregarding his assessment that the alleged will was
forged.<o:p></o:p>(e)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That the Court of Appeal failed to
give any adequate consideration to the 12th December 1997 date
wrongly expressed to be the date of the will on exhibit ‘9’, Probate Form 35
(affidavit of witness in proof of due execution of a will) and th</main>