KINGSLEY SARFO MAINOO vs. MARY ARTHUR [2022]DLHC11467

Date	2022-02-11
Suit No.	SUIT NO. C5/14/2019
Citation No.	[2022]DLHC11467

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE FRANCIS OBIRI

MATTHEW APPIAH FOR THE PETITIONER

KWASI ARHIN FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2022]DLHC11467
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KINGSLEY SARFO MAINOO<o:p></o:p>(PETITIONER)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MARY ARTHUR<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT NO. C5/14/2019&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:
11THFEBRUARY, 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:
EN-GB;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">MATTHEW APPIAH FOR
THE PETITIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;
mso-bidi-font-style:italic">KWASI ARHIN FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE FRANCIS OBIRI<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:150%;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;I am often not enthused about decreeing divorce between marriage couple,
because of the sociological effects divorce has on the children from such
marriages.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Again, I am often reminded by God’s decree against divorce in Malachi 2: 15-16, where he said “… Do not break faith with the wife of your
youth.&nbsp; I hate divorce says the Lord God
of Israel.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Our Lord Jesus Christ also spoke against divorce when he said in Matthew 19: 5-6 as follows: “For this
reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the
two will become one flesh.&nbsp; So, they are
no longer two but one.&nbsp; Therefore, what God has put together let no
man put asunder.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;However, it is trite learning that, no court can compel parties to
continue to marry.&nbsp; Thus, it appears
that, if the parties themselves decide to seek divorce contrary to the biblical
position if they are Christians, then the court will have to give its blessing
to it.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Indeed, Lord Denning in his Book “Landmarks in the Law” at page 176
wrote in attitude of the British people to divorce as follows;<o:p></o:p>“There is no longer any binding knot for marriage.&nbsp; There is only a loose piece of string which
the parties can untie at will.&nbsp; Divorce
is not a stigma.&nbsp; It has become
respectable.&nbsp; One parent families
abound”.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;See: MENSAH
V. MENSAH [2012] 1 SCGLR 391 <o:p></o:p>However, I am of the humble view that, before the parties came to court,
they would have expressed their love for each other in so many times and in
different ways.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;