Lilian Dedjoe demise: 2 years marriage requirement before granting divorce must be reviewed - Samson Lardi

Private legal practitioner, Samson Anyenini has called for the immediate revision of the law which requires couples seeking divorce to at least possess two years of marriage experience before filing for a divorce.

To him, although the practice is usually done to enable couples re-think and patch their differences, it can also be catastrophic if the party filing for the divorce is going through harsh circumstances in the marriage.

His comments are in reaction to the demise of Mrs. Lilian Dedjoe, who was allegedly battered to death by her husband Charles Dedjoe.

Mrs. Dedjoe prior to her death sustained injuries from domestic assault and subsequently reported to the Madina Polyclinic for treatment, but her condition deteriorated resulting in a coma, and was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Lister Hospital where she was being transferred to for further treatment.

But expressing utmost disappointment at the sad incident, Mr. Anyenini said:

“We are all guilty. When someone tries to file for a divorce, it is required per the laws of Ghana, that person goes through two years of the marriage first before it is being granted. Even though there are exceptions to that rule, it is in rare instances like hardships faced by any of the partners. That practice should be again looked at. Instead of asking how long the person has being married, let’s ask what that particular person is going through,” he stated during JoyNews’ Newsfile monitored by GhanaWeb.

He added that domestic violence has cut short the lives of many women in Ghana and has negatively impacted the health of victims, devastated homes, and the wellbeing of marriage partners.