Child Custody Case: Court Grants Substituted Service On Baaba Sam

The General Jurisdiction Division of the High Court in Accra, presided over by His Lordship Justice Kwasi Adjenim-Boateng, has granted an Order for Substituted Service against Karen Baaba Sam, in an escalating legal tussle over the custody of her daughter, with former partner, Kwadwo Adjei.

The order, granted on June 25, 2025, follows an application filed two days earlier by Mr. Adjei, who is seeking to serve Ms. Sam with a motion for her committal to prison for alleged contempt of court.

The motion stems from what Mr. Adjei describes as a series of deliberate violations of court orders in relation to their ongoing custody dispute.

Per the High Court’s order, Ms. Sam will be deemed duly served once the motion is posted in three specific locations: on the notice board of the High Court in Accra, on the wall of BLG Practice at No. 19 Sir Arku Korsah Road, Airport Residential Area, and via a one-time publication in either the Daily Graphic or Ghanaian Times.

Background to the Case

The protracted custody battle dates back to April 2024 when Mr. Adjei commenced proceedings at the Family Tribunal, seeking custody of their daughter, Adele Ohemaa Adjei. Interim custody was initially granted to Mr. Adjei, with Ms. Sam receiving fortnightly access rights.

However, tensions escalated after Ms. Sam allegedly failed to return the child on January 4, 2025, after holiday access. According to Mr. Adjei’s affidavit, this resulted in the child being kept out of school for nearly three months. This incident led to contempt proceedings, culminating in Ms. Sam’s conviction.

Subsequently, a differently constituted Family Tribunal reversed the custody arrangement, awarding primary care to Ms. Sam and giving Mr. Adjei weekend visitation rights.

Mr. Adjei challenged this in the High Court, which on June 11, 2025 quashed the new orders and reinstated the original custody decision.

Mr. Adjei alleges that upon learning of the High Court’s ruling, Ms. Sam removed the child from school before closing hours and has since gone into hiding, ignoring subsequent court directives. Attempts to contact her have reportedly been unsuccessful, prompting Mr. Adjei to seek the substituted service order.

The motion for committal, filed on June 23, 2025, accuses Ms. Sam of wilful disobedience of court orders a pattern of conduct Mr. Adjei argues shows flagrant disrespect for judicial authority. His affidavit asserts that only a custodial sentence can impress upon her the seriousness of her actions and preserve the integrity of the court.

The motion cites multiple breaches, including Ms. Sam’s failure to comply with specific drop-off arrangements, the unlawful retention of the child, and efforts to evade service after allegedly removing the child from school on June 11.

Mr. Adjei emphasized that this is not merely a legal technicality, but a matter affecting a child’s right to education and paternal access, urging the court to impose a custodial sentence.

The post Child Custody Case: Court Grants Substituted Service On Baaba Sam appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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