Appeal if you so wish, but don't close the door of negotiations - Lawyer to Achimota Board

• The Achimota School Board has indicated that it is not giving up easily on the case involving two Rastafarian boys

• The Board has already directed its lawyers to appeal the ruling of the Human Rights Court

• A private legal practitioner has said that while this is within their rights, they should also be open to other negotiations, in the interest of the boys

While its plan to appeal the ruling of the Human Rights court in the case of the Rastafarian boys and the Achimota School, private legal practitioner, Yaw Oppong, has urged the school to be open to negotiation and mediation as well.

The two boys, Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea, have been the heroes of the moment after the former took the Achimota School to court and won the case that ordered the school to admit them.

The two had been turned away by the school on the grounds that they have dreadlocks and until they cut them, they cannot be received.

Following the landmark ruling, the Achimota School’s Governing Board issued a statement stating that it disagreed with the judgment and had instructed its lawyers to appeal, reports Citi News.

Excerpts of that statement said, “The court ruled that the religious rights of the two applicants had been violated by the School Management as they sought to enforce the time-tested and well-known rules of the school. The Court further directed the school to admit the two applicants. The school Board disagrees with the ruling of the Court.”

But the lawyer said that in the interest of the boys and their future, the Board should consider other options of negotiations.

“The appeal does not stop further negotiations and mediation processes for the purposes of engaging all parties to resolve the matter. In all this, the Children’s Act, the Constitution and relevant Acts state that we should put the welfare and the advancement of the child’s future above because that is superior to any other consideration”, the lawyer advised.

On Monday, May 31, 2021, the Human Rights Court, presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo, delivered a landmark ruling in relation to the case of refusal of admission to two Rastafarian boys, Tyrone Marhguy, and Oheneba Nkrabea, to the Achimota School because they refused to cut down their dreadlocks to get accepted in the school.

Justice Gifty Adjei Addo disagreed with the submissions of the Attorney General and granted all the reliefs separately sought by the embattled students except the relief of compensation in the case of Tyrone Marhguy.

She ruled that it was preposterous for the Attorney General would even suggest that the two were not students in the first place, consequently directing the school to admit the two Rastafarian students immediately.

Wayoe Ghanamannti, lawyer for the two Rastafarian boys, had earlier indicated that he was indifferent about the possibility of the school appealing the decision.

Stating further that although the school holds the right of appealing the verdict of the court, he is very content that his clients have received the green light from the court to get admitted, so as to continue their education.

“They have the right to appeal. Our learned friends didn’t indicate any signal of an appeal, but they have a right to do so. Even when they do that, they would have started going to school. And before the appeal will be prepared and put before a court of appeal and the court called upon to get the parties to appear and move the appeal and all that, they would have started school. When we get to that bridge, we will cross it,” he said.