Court orders WAEC to release over 10,000 withheld WASSCE results, denies delay request

The High Court in Accra has rejected an application by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to delay the release of over 10,000 withheld WASSCE results, upholding its earlier ruling that the results must be made public.

Delivering the decision, Justice Ali Baba Abature dismissed WAEC’s application for a Stay of Execution, stating that the council had failed to present sufficient justification for withholding the results. The court also imposed a GH¢5,000 cost against WAEC.

The legal battle began when the High Court granted an application for mandamus on January 30, 2025, compelling WAEC to release the 2024 WASSCE results of the affected candidates.

The court criticized WAEC for its vague and inconsistent reasoning, citing "alleged examination malpractice" and "alleged irregularities" without concrete evidence. Justice Abature further noted that WAEC’s own invigilators had not reported any serious breaches during the examinations.

In response to the ruling, WAEC filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the decision. At the same time, the council applied for a Stay of Execution, hoping to delay compliance with the High Court’s directive until the appeal was heard.

However, during the hearing on Thursday, February 20, 2025, WAEC’s legal counsel, Monalisa Oppong Owusu Asare, presented arguments on four key grounds, but the court remained unconvinced. With the dismissal of the motion, WAEC is now legally required to release the withheld results without further delay.