DR. EMMANUEL MAURICE ANKRAH VS MRS AMA ANKRAH
January 22, 2016
HIGH COURT
GHANA
CORAM
- HER LADYSHIP MRS MERLEY WOOD J.
Areas of Law
- Family Law
AI Generated Summary
Her Ladyship Mrs. Merley Wood J. of the High Court granted a dissolution of the marriage celebrated on 23 December 2003 between a medical doctor/legal practitioner (the Petitioner) and an ordained reverend minister (the Respondent). The Petitioner alleged persistent accusations of infidelity, nocturnal quarrels, and a cessation of marital relations since January 2013, and admitted extramarital affairs and cohabitation with a woman named Kukua. The Respondent opposed divorce on grounds of faith, characterizing herself as a “long suffering” spouse, though she acknowledged the Petitioner’s year-long absence from the home and lack of communication since October 2014. Applying the Matrimonial Causes Act, 1971 (Act 367) and precedents including Addo v Addo, Kotei v Kotei, Mensah v Mensah, and Yakubu v Yakubu, the court adopted an objective test and found the marriage had broken down beyond reconciliation. The court dissolved the marriage, awarded custody to the Respondent with reasonable access to the Petitioner, and ordered the Petitioner to maintain and pay school fees.