[2022]DLSC11698 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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0">GIFTY ESINAM ADJEI<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">(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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0">DANIEL AKPOR ADJEI<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">(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"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;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. J4/54/2020 DATE: 15<sup>TH</sup> JUNE, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify"><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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">WISDOM ANTHONIO ESQ. FOR THE PETITIONER/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;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">EDWARD ANOKYE ESQ. FOR THE RESPONDENT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">CORAM <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">YEBOAH CJ (PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, HONYENUGA JSC, KULENDI JSC <o:p></o:p></span></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="MsoNoSpacing" 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: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="MsoNoSpacing" style="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"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">HONYENUGA JSC:-<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">This is an appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal dated the 11<sup>th</sup> day of July, 2019 which affirmed the judgment of the High Court dated the 31<sup>st</sup> day of October 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">A perusal of the record of appeal reveals clearly that the appeal is essentially premised on the distribution of property rights between the parties. Therefore the issue arising in this appeal is whether or not the Petitioner/Respondent is entitled to fifty percent (50%) of the matrimonial house in issue as held by the High Court and the first appellate court.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">In this judgment, the Respondent/Appellant/Appellant would hereinafter be referred to as the husband and the Petitioner/Respondent/Respondent as the wife.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">BACKGROUND FACTS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">This is a unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal and the final orders made by the Court of Appeal after its Judgment were as follows:-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">“The orders made by the court below are valid and should be carried out. The appeal by all indication lack merit and should be dismissed. It is hereby dismissed. We affirm the decision of the High Court and dismiss the appeal.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">What were the orders made by the High Court which were affirmed by the Court of Appeal. They were:-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: 36.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">“1. The said marriage is decreed to be dissolved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">2. The petitioner is entitled to 50% of the properties acquired in the course of the marriage. The building is to be valued and she given her one half share.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">3. It is my considered opinion that it will be fair and just if she is awarded financial provision of five thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,000.00).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">4. The petitioner did not lead any evidence on the fact that the Respondent owes her seven thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢7,000.00). Her claim for the said amount of money fails.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:72.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">5. Costs of three thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢3,000.00) is awarded to the petitioner.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">The facts were that the parties were customarily married for sixteen years and on the 24<sup>th</sup> July 2012 they converted the said marriage into an ordinance marriage which was celebrated at Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly at Nungua. The marriage was later blessed at the Christ Inventors Mission at Tsui Bleoo Teshie. There were no issues during the marriage. The husband was a mason and the wife a seamstress. The wife averred that prior to the marriage the husband had four children whom he brought to the matrimonial home and it was the wife who cared for them from infancy and treated them as her own children. She further averred that the husband behaved in unreasonable manner that she could not be expected to ever live with him as a wife. She particularized the unreasonable behavior or conduct of the husband to the extent that the husband insults and assaults her physically and accused her of being a prostitute and being in adulterous relationship which she denied. The wife also accused the husband of committing adultery with other women. She stated that on one occasion, the husband assaulted her in public when she was talking to the husband of a lady pastor because he claimed she was having an affair with the said pastor. She also averred that that the husband was extremely cruel and jealous and assaulted her mercilessly at the sight of her talk or greet any male member of the community. The husband also threw her out of the matrimonial bedroom and denied her access to her clothes and other personal effects the husband lived there alone. She averred that the husband did not show any love or affection for her which conduct had affected her psychologically and all attempts at settlement by her uncle failed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">During the marriage, the matrimonial