Supreme Court sets April 21 for hearing on Wesley Girls Religious rights case

The Supreme Court of Ghana has fixed April 21 to hear a case challenging alleged religious practices at Wesley Girls Senior High School.

The suit, filed by private legal practitioner Shafic Osman, accuses the school of requiring students of all religious backgrounds to conform to Methodist practices while limiting the ability of Muslim students to freely observe their faith. The plaintiff argues that these actions violate the rights of Muslim students.

Two separate applications have been filed in the matter, one by the school’s Board of Governors and another by the Catholic Church of Ghana.

The Board of Governors is challenging its inclusion in the suit, contending that the school is owned by the Trustees of the Methodist Church, whom it believes should be the proper party to face the legal action.

However, Osman has opposed this argument, citing provisions of the Ghana Education Service Act which, he maintains, assign the board responsibility for managing the affairs of the school, thereby making it a relevant party to the case. He further noted that the suit also names the Ghana Education Service and the Attorney General of Ghana, arguing that attempts to strike out the writ on the basis of the board’s legal capacity are misplaced.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has applied to join the case as a friend of the court. In its submission, the Church has questioned the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, arguing that the matter concerns human rights and should instead be determined by the High Court.

On the substantive issues, the Church maintains that faith-based schools are entitled to uphold their religious values, and that students who choose to enroll in such institutions may be deemed to have accepted certain limitations on the practice of their own beliefs.

The case, which was initially scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, has now been adjourned to April 21.