Catholic Secretariat, Presbyterian Church joined to Wesley Girls’ religious rights case
The decision was made on Tuesday, July 7, by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court presided over by Justice Gabriel Pwamang.
The Supreme Court has allowed two major Christian bodies to join the religious rights case involving Wesley Girls’ High School.
The National Catholic Secretariat and the Registered Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana have been added as defendants in the suit challenging alleged violations of the rights of Muslim students at the school.
They now become the 5th and 6th Defendants in the case.
The decision was made on Tuesday, July 7, by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court presided over by Justice Gabriel Pwamang.
The panel held that, considering the reliefs being sought by the plaintiff, the two bodies could be affected by the final outcome of the case.
Private legal practitioner Shafic Osman filed the writ.
He is alleging that the rights of Muslim students are being infringed.
The original defendants were the Board of Governors of Wesley Girls’ Senior High School, the Ghana Education Service and the Attorney-General.
They were named as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants respectively.
The Trustees of the Methodist Church of Ghana were later joined as the 4th Defendant.
At Tuesday’s sitting, lawyer Thaddeus Sory moved the application for the National Catholic Secretariat to be joined to the case.
Lawyer Somoa Asamoah also moved a similar application on behalf of the Registered Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
The Supreme Court granted both applications.
Other members of the panel were Justices Ernest Gaewu, Henry Anthony Kwofie, Senyo Dzamefe and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo.
Following the ruling, the court ordered the plaintiff to amend his writ of summons within 14 days to include the two new defendants.
After they are served with the amended processes, the National Catholic Secretariat and the Registered Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana will have seven days to file their responses.
The case is then expected to proceed in the normal course.
