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SMITH
V.
SMITH

(1965) JELR 65931 (HC)

High Court 21 Dec 1965 Ghana
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- The Court of Appeal held that under the Married Women’s Property Ordinance, 1890, a married woman in Ghana may sue her husband in tort or for recovery of property, with “property” including both movable and immovable property, not limited

Case Details

Judges:ARCHER J.
Counsel:ABLORH FOR THE APPELLANT; ESSILFIE-BONDZIE FOR THE RESPONDENT.

ARCHER J.: The appellant wife sued the respondent husband for the return of certain articles, one part of which was given to the wife by the husband during their marriage, a second part of which represented the wife’s own self-acquired property and the third part consisted of articles entrusted to her or which she was keeping for third parties. The learned circuit judge gave judgment for the husband on the ground that “at common law no action lies between husband and wife” and that the true owners of the articles must themselves sue the wife with the husband as co-defendant. The circuit judge held further that the Married Women’s Property Ordinance, 1890,1 must be restricted to property acquired by means of wages, earnings or money in some occupation or trade carried on separately from her husband. On these grounds the learned circuit judge non-suited the wife who has appealed against the judgment on the ground that:

(a) The evidence does not support the judgment of the circuit court;

(…

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