Judgment raises questions about legal remedies for broken engagements and protections for women.
A court in Ghana awards GH₵200,000 to a woman who sued a former partner after an 11-year promise to marry ended in dispute.
The ruling illustrates a continuing legal and social debate over remedies for broken engagements. Historically, common-law systems recognize a cause of action called “breach of promise to marry,” but many jurisdictions restrict or abolish that remedy; legal scholars and policy analysts say modern responses focus on recovery of demonstrable financial losses or remedies for related misconduct rather than broad damages for failed promises.
The court awarded the woman GH₵200,000 after she brought a claim that the man promised to marry her and later reneged, ending an 11-year relationship.
Legal experts and comparative legal history note that remedies for broken engagements vary widely by jurisdiction. Historically, courts awarded damages for loss of marriage prospects, injury to reputation and out-of-pocket expenses, but legislatures and courts in many places reduced or eliminated that action during the 20th century. Modern legal disputes more commonly address recoverable expenses, the status of engagement gifts, or separate criminal conduct such as fraud.
Some disputes over broken promises occur through non-state bodies such as customary councils or religious tribunals, which sometimes impose fines or public sanctions. Human-rights groups and legal commentators caution that such sanctions may lack legal enforceability and due-process protections.