PETER ADJEI (PETITIONER/APPELLANT) vs. MARGARET ADJEI (RESPONDENT/RSPONDENT) [2019]DLCA7763

Date	2019-01-30
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/280/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA7763

ADJEI J.A

SOWAH J.A

POKU- ACHEAMPONG J.A

BRIGHT OKYERE ADJEKUM FOR THE PETITIONER/APPELLANT

MRS N.Y MARGARET ACHEAMPONG FOR THE APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA7763
																																						<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" >PETER ADJEI<o:p></o:p>(PETITIONER/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>MARGARET ADJEI<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/RSPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. H1/280/2018&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 30TH
JANUARY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>BRIGHT
OKYERE ADJEKUM FOR THE PETITIONER/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MRS
N.Y MARGARET ACHEAMPONG FOR THE APPELLANT/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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

ADJEI
J.A, SOWAH J.A, POKU- ACHEAMPONG J.A<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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>ADJEI,
J.A:<o:p></o:p>The Petitioner
filed divorce proceedings against his wife, the Respondent, seeking an order for the dissolution of
the customary marriage celebrated &nbsp; by him and the respondent in or
about&nbsp;the year 2002, and &nbsp; an order for custody of their &nbsp; two
children from the marriage. The Respondent, in her answer to the petition for
the dissolution of the customary marriage, was not substantially opposed to the
petition. The petitioner, however, cross-petitioned for property settlement
regarding their matrimonial home at&nbsp;Cantonments, Accra, a lump sum of
GH¢400,000.00 by way of alimony, and a&nbsp; maintenance order for herself and
their two children. <o:p></o:p>The High Court in its judgment delivered on 29th
April, 2015,&nbsp; dissolved the customary marriage celebrated between the
parties &nbsp; in the year 2002 and granted all the reliefs sought by the
Respondent in her cross petition and even enhanced the alimony sought by the
Respondent from GH¢400,000.00 to Gh¢500,000.00. With respect to maintenance,
the Petitioner was ordered to pay an amount of Gh¢1,500.00 per month for the
maintenance of the Respondent and their two children.<o:p></o:p>The Petitioner, dissatisfied with the judgment of the
trial High Court, filed a Notice of Appeal against same on 2nd June,
2016. The Petitioner &nbsp;&nbsp; further applied &nbsp; to the trial High
Court for leave to amend the&nbsp; Notice of Appeal. An amended Notice of
Appeal was filed on 12th July, 2016 pursuant to the leave granted by
the trial High Court. The parties shall maintain their respective designations
as Petitioner and Respondent as used before the Court below. The amended Notice
of Appeal contained six grounds of appeal which were numbered alphabetically as
follows:<o:p></o:p>“a. The learned trial Judge erred in law when, notwithstanding
the fact that the acquisition of and &nbsp; construction of the matrimonial
home was solely funded and acquired by the Petitioner, she settled part of it
on the Respondent.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned trial
Judge erred in law when she awarded the amount &nbsp; of ¢500,000 (Five Hundred
&nbsp; thousand Ghana Cedis) as lump &nbsp; sum to the Respondent without
&nbsp; considering &nbsp; the means &nbsp; of the parties.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned&nbsp;
Judge erred &nbsp; in law &nbsp; when she held that the Petitioner should pay
&nbsp; an amount of&nbsp; GH¢1,500 (One Thousand Five hundred Ghana Cedis) as
maintenance &nbsp; to the Respondent &nbsp; without &nbsp; evaluating &nbsp;
the means &nbsp; of the Parties.<o:p></o:p>d.&nbsp; The learned &nbsp; trial
Judge erred when she &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;granted custody
of the children of the marriage to the Respondent.<o:p></o:p>