ROLA DIAB vs. TAREK DIAB [2016]DLCA5099

Date	2016-06-28
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. HI/16/16
Citation No.	[2016]DLCA5099

HONYENUGA J.A. (PRESIDING)

GYAN J.A.

SUURBAAREH J.A.

MR. LAWRENCE ASANTE AHENKORAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS/ APPELLANTS

MR. PHILIP NKRUMAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2016]DLCA5099
																																						<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" >ROLA DIAB<o:p></o:p>(PETITIONER/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>TAREK DIAB<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, CAPE COAST]<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.&nbsp; HI/16/16&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;28TH
JUNE, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
LAWRENCE ASANTE AHENKORAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS/ APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p>MR.
PHILIP NKRUMAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;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">CORAM: 
HONYENUGA J.A. (PRESIDING), GYAN J.A., SUURBAAREH J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

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

</div>HONYENUGA,
J.A.<o:p></o:p>This appeal
touches and concerns marriage under Mohammedan law celebrated by the parties
who are Lebanese in Lebanon.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This is
an appeal against the Ruling of the High Court, Sekondi dated the 13th
day of May, 2015.&nbsp; The said court
delivered its Ruling in favour of the Petitioner/respondent (hereinafter called
the respondent) as against the respondent/appellant (hereinafter called the
appellant).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The facts
of this appeal are not disputed.&nbsp; The
parties are Lebanese who have been living in Ghana since 1996 but got married
under Mohammed Law in Lebanon.&nbsp; The
marriage was blessed with three children who are minors and the parties have
been living peacefully together.&nbsp; Both
parties acquired immovable properties together both in Ghana and their native
Lebanon.&nbsp; The Petitioner travelled to
Lebanon to seek medical attention with the consent of the respondent but upon
her return he has refused to maintain the Petitioner and has asked her to leave
the matrimonial home.&nbsp; The respondent has
been hindering the petitioner’s access to her children despite all efforts to
have the matter settled.&nbsp; The respondent
had relied on a divorce having been decreed by an Islamic Court as the basis of
his behavior.&nbsp; The petitioner, who was left
with no other avenue to vent her grievance, issued out a petition pursuant to
leave granted by the High Court, Sekondi against the respondent claiming as
follows:-<o:p></o:p>“a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The respondent be made to
maintain the petitioner at GH¢5,000.00 a month to enable the petitioner a
housewife maintain herself and her three children.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The petitioner be given
custody of their children with reasonable access to the respondent.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The respondent, his privies,
assigns, agents and workmen be restrained from entering the matrimonial home
located on the Anita Mensah Avenue, Dixcove Hill, Takoradi.<o:p></o:p>d.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The respondent be
restrained from taking the petitioner and/or the children out of the
jurisdiction.<o:p></o:p>e.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The respondent be
restrained from perpetuating any form of violence against the petitioner.<o:p></o:p>f.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For the respondent to
pay the medical bills of the respondent.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;g.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
respondent be mulcated in cost of the litigation.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;h.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Any other reliefs that the Honourable Court will deem fit
under the Matrimonial Causes Act, (1971) act (sic) 367”.<o:p></o:p>The
petitioner filed a motion on notice to restrain the respondent from taking
custody of the children, for reasonable maintenance, from taking the children
out of the jurisdiction, the payment of her medical bills among others.&nbsp; The appellant then entered Appearance and
thereafter filed a motion on notice to dismiss the suit claiming that the
marriage between the parties had been dissolved in May 2014 by an Islamic
Sunnite Court of Tripoli.&nbsp; In Lebanon the
petitioner upon a ruling by the trial court that the motion to dismiss the
action be heard first, filed an affidavit in opposition to the said motion
claiming that the said decree of divorce contravened the Matrimonial Causes
Act, 1971 (Act 367) and the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>