Accra: The Supreme Court of Ghana has fixed Tuesday, April 21, 2026, to hear a case challenging the constitutionality of some policies at Wesley Girls' High School. The case, brought forward by Shafic Osman, seeks a declaration from the court that certain directives at the school, which allegedly compel Muslim students to participate in Christian worship and limit their ability to practice Islam, are unconstitutional.
According to Ghana Web, a report from myjoyonline.com on March 31, 2026, the court initially granted the school's Board of Directors 14 days to respond to these claims during the first hearing. However, the school has argued that its Board does not have the legal capacity to be sued, insisting that the proper party to the suit is the Trustees of the Methodist Church, who own the school's land and assets.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has filed written submissions as a friend of the court to assist in determining the matter. The Church has questioned the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, arguing that issues related to the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the affected students should be handled by the High Court. It further stated that mission schools are not state institutions but are established and run by religious bodies using their own resources. Therefore, individuals who voluntarily enroll in such schools may be deemed to have accepted certain limitations regarding the exercise of their religious rights.
The Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem-Sai, has also supported the position that the school is owned by the Methodist Church and not the state. He emphasized that the school retains the right to practice its religious doctrine, and the receipt of government support does not strip it of its religious identity or freedoms. Justice Srem-Sai stressed that public funding cannot be used as grounds to interfere with the school's beliefs and practices.