[2023]DLHC16839 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><a name="_Hlk152146143"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">KENNETH KOJO BAIDEN <o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">MRS AGATHA BAIDEN <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt 168.75pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> </span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">SUIT NO: E6/02/2022 DATE: 25<sup>TH</sup> JANUARY 2023<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></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="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt; 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;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">EUNICE FRIMPONG FOR THE PETITIONER<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt; 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;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">MAAME ABENA DARTEY-LARTEY FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">CORAM <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt right 479.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HER LADYSHIP MALIKE AWO WOANYAH DEY </span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>parties<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>this<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>action<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>married<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>under<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>Marriages<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>Act<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>1884<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>Cap<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>127<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>3rd<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>April 2006 at the District Court in Cape Coast. Both parties work as officers in one of the state Security Agencies. After their marriage ceremony, they lived separately. one person at Takoradi, Kumasi Tamale and Accra. After some time, the respondent was transferred to Accra and later to Cape Coast, where she currently lives, whilst the respondent<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>still<span style="letter-spacing:-.35pt"> </span>lives<span style="letter-spacing:-.35pt"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>Accra.<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>There<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>are<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>three<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>issues<span style="letter-spacing:-.35pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.35pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt"> </span>marriage,<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>namely,<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>Gifford Kofi Baiden, aged 21 years, the respondent's son from a previous marriage, Hannah Asemanuah Baiden, aged 15 years and Godfrey Adjei Baiden, aged 13 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">On 20th<span style="position:relative; top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise:3.5pt;letter-spacing:1.6pt"> </span>October 2021, the petitioner, the husband of the marriage, filed a petition for divorce in the registry of this court.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The basis upon which he filed the petition is that marriage has broken down beyond reconciliation.<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>According<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt"> </span>petitioner,<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>respondent<span style="letter-spacing: -.25pt"> </span>has<span style="letter-spacing:-.35pt"> </span>behaved<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing:-.35pt"> </span>such<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>way that he cannot be expected to live with her as a husband. He also avers that she has caused him much anxiety, distress and embarrassment. It is his case that since the inception<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>marriage,<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>parties<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>never<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>settled to<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt"> </span>live<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>together<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>continuously as husband and wife.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 4.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height