[2020]DLSC9330 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma; color:#00B0F0;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">LYDIA KWAO<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">(PETITIONER/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma; color:#00B0F0;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">PASCAL MUAKO TCHEMCO<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">(RESPONDENT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/32/2019 DATE: 22<sup>ND</sup> JULY, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">DICKSON TWENEBOAH-KODUA FOR THE PETITIONER/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">B. T. AGBLEY FOR THE </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">RESPONDENT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">GBADEGBE JSC (PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC, KOTEY JSC, OWUSU (MS.) JSC<o:p></o:p></span></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 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;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:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">OWUSU (MS.), JSC:-<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt; margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">On 20<sup>th</sup> July, 2017, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appellant’s appeal and affirmed the judgment of the trial court. The Court held among other things as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt; margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">“Finally, for the reasons given in this judgment, the appeal fails and subject to the exclusion of the Nissan X-Terra from the properties ordered to be shared equally by the parties, the judgment of the trial court dated the 10<sup>th</sup> of December, 2015 is hereby affirmed.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt; margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">Dissatisfied with the decision of the Court of Appeal, the appellant appealed to the Supreme Court on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify; text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">i.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">That the Court of Appeal erred in affirming the decision of the trial court that the appellant’s properties as contained in the petition be shared equally between the parties.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify; text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">ii.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">That the judgment is against the weight of evidence.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify; text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">iii.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">That further grounds of appeal may be filed upon receipt of a certified full copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt; margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">Before dealing with the arguments canvassed in support and against this appeal, we will give a brief background of the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt; margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">The appellant in this case is a Camerounian born and a Canadian citizen. He is a businessman who deals in the importation and sale of used clothes which he imports from Canada to Ghana, Cameroun and Guinea for sale whilst the respondent is a Ghanaian trader in used cloths. The parties met in the course of their trading activities. Subsequently, the appellant married the respondent customarily at Nkoranza, in the then Brong Ahafo Region sometime in 2003 in the presence of the respondent’s family. <o:p></o:p></