A MATTER OF EQUALITY IN MATRIMONIAL RIGHTS: GLADYS MENSAH V. STEPHEN MENSAH CASE IN SUPREME COURT OF GHANA

Autores/as

  • Bernice Sam, National Programme Coordinator of Wildaf in Ghana, Africa WILDAF - Women in Law and Development in Africa

Resumen

Abstract: The Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana has given value to gender roles of women (and men) in the home. For too long many courts had relied on the need to establish substantial contribution by spouses to joint property which many women could not prove, thereby being entitled to less than half of joint property. In matrimonial matters however, case law developed around the Matrimonial Causes Act 1971, (Act 367) acknowledge the weak financial contribution of a spouse to property acquisition.  The courts in their application of equitable principles require a spouse claiming a share in joint property to provide proof of substantial contribution. This principle of proving substantial contribution has for decades being to the disadvantage of many women who, in performing their gender roles as wives, do not keep records of contribution made to joint property. However, in the last decade, some courts began recognising the value of a wife’s contribution to matrimonial property even if the contribution was non-monetary. The Supreme Court case of Gladys Mensah v. Stephen Mensah now firmly establishes the principle of equality in property distribution.

Keywords: Equality. Women matrimonial rights. Supreme Court of Ghana.

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Biografía del autor/a

Bernice Sam, National Programme Coordinator of Wildaf in Ghana, Africa, WILDAF - Women in Law and Development in Africa

Bernice Sam is a lawyer who has been a human rights activist for 18 years working at the community, national and international levels advocating for gender equality. She is the Ghana national programme co-ordinator for Women in Law and Development in Africa, a pan-African women’s rights network that empowers women to influence decisions at community, national and regional levels. She researched and led the struggle for protection of the rights of persons in non-formalized relationships in a property rights Bill. She spearheads the campaign to hear women’s voices in the democratic processes of Ghana including organizing the premiere women’s dialogue with 5 political party presidential aspirants. Ms. Sam advocated for more access to information to enhance democracy in Ghana. She has written and co-authored books on HIV/AIDS, violence against women, property rights of women and human rights. She has several articles on democracy in newspapers in Ghana. e-mail. bernicesam@wildaf.org

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Publicado

2012-11-07

Cómo citar

Sam, National Programme Coordinator of Wildaf in Ghana, Africa, B. (2012). A MATTER OF EQUALITY IN MATRIMONIAL RIGHTS: GLADYS MENSAH V. STEPHEN MENSAH CASE IN SUPREME COURT OF GHANA. Espaço Jurídico Journal of Law [EJJL], 13(esp), 141–148. Recuperado a partir de https://periodicos.unoesc.edu.br/espacojuridico/article/view/2362

Número

Vol. 13 (2012): ESPAÇO JURÍDICO JOURNAL OF LAW [EJJL] Edição Especial Estados Unidos

Sección

Análise de Casos

Licencia

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