COMFORT BREW ANTHONY vs. JEAN ANTHONY [2019]DLHC6896

Date	2019-05-15
Suit No.	SUIT NO. GT 1793/17
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC6896

ERIC K. BAFFOUR ESQ. J

[2019]DLHC6896
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >COMFORT BREW ANTHONY<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JEAN ANTHONY<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT NO. GT 1793/17&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; &nbsp; DATE: 15TH
MAY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>ERIC K. BAFFOUR ESQ. J<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="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>&nbsp;In
this suit the extent and application of Article 22(1) of the Constitution and
section 13(1) of the Wills Act, 1971, Act 360 have been invoked and comes up
for fascinating discussions.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Plaintiff who claim to be a widow and upon the death
of her husband of sixteen years, Lawrence Arthur Anthony, all her personal
belongings had to be thrown out of her matrimonial home by the Defendant who
was an ex-wife of the deceased husband together with the&nbsp; children of the Defendant, birthed this writ
out of the Registry of the court, upon realizing that the Will of the late
husband, whiles making the Defendant as the Executor/Trustee of the Will, did
not make any provision at all, let alone a reasonable one for her, and
accordingly sought the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that
the Plaintiff is the surviving spouse of the late Lawrence Arthur Anthony
(deceased).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that
the Plaintiff is entitled to a reasonable provision&nbsp; from the estate of the deceased in accordance
with section 13(1) of the Wills Act, (Act 360) of 1971 and article 22(1) of the
1992 Constitution&nbsp; by reason of being a
surviving spouse.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">iii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order directed
at the Defendant to give to the Plaintiff out of the estate of Lawrence Arthur
Anthony (deceased) such reasonable provision as shall be determined by this
honourable court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">iv.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Costing [sic]
including solicitor’s fees and any other order(s) as the honourable court may
deem fit.<o:p></o:p>Defendant in her Statement of Defence
admit having sighted a certificate of customary law marriage between the
deceased and Plaintiff after the demise of the deceased but deny the existence
of any such marriage at the time of the death of the deceased as to her all the
available information including tax documentations filed in Canada between 2004
and 2014, all showed that the deceased was divorced at the time of his death. <o:p></o:p>Defendant further dispute the value of the
estate as amounting to Gh¢1,255,000 as there would have to be some deductions
including an amount of Gh¢300,000 with SIC Life that the deceased named his
mother, Rose Leat as the beneficiary. Besides, there has been another challenge
by three persons who contend that they are the children of the deceased with
which DNA has proved so and may also be entitled to reasonable provisions out
of the estate.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>