Accra, Ghana — The Ghana Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on April 21 in a landmark lawsuit challenging the religious practices at Wesley Girls’Senior School. The case, initiated by private legal practitioner Shafic Kwabena Osman, alleges discriminatory policies against Muslim students, including prohibitions on wearing the hijab and fasting during Ramadan.
The lawsuit seeks to invoke the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction under the 1992 Constitution, arguing that the school’s restrictions infringe on constitutional protections for religious freedom. The Attorney General, representing the Ministry of Education, contests the claim, arguing that the school, which is under the Methodist Church of Ghana, has the right to maintain rules aligned with its religious heritage.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’Conference has joined the case as an interested party, submitting an amicus curiae brief to aid the court in addressing key legal issues. The conference’s intervention reflects its significant role in Ghana’s education sector and the broader implications of the case for the governance of mission schools within the public education system.
The Supreme Court’s decision is anticipated to establish a significant legal precedent and further the ongoing debate over religious freedom and the governance of mission schools in Ghana. A crucial reference in the case is the Memorandum of Understanding on Religious Tolerance in Schools, adopted on April 15, 2024, which aims to balance religious diversity with institutional values.
Source: allafrica
