The Supreme Court has granted an application for the Trustees of the Methodist Church, Ghana, to be joined as a party to an ongoing constitutional case challenging the religious practices of Wesley Girls’ Senior High School.

The decision was taken by a seven-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, with Justices Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu Tanko, Ernest Yao Gaewu, Senyo Dzamefe, Richard Adjei-Frimpong and Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu also on the bench.

The case was filed by private legal practitioner Shafic Osman, who is challenging what he describes as unconstitutional practices at the school, which he argues infringe on the religious freedoms of Muslim students.

According to him, Muslim students at Wesley Girls Senior High School are required to attend Christian worship services and are restricted in fully observing their Islamic faith.

During proceedings, counsel for the applicants, George Ankomah Mensah, informed the court that the Methodist Church Trustees had applied on May 8, 2026, to be joined as the fourth defendant.

He argued that since the Church is the founding body of the school, any ruling in the case would directly affect its interests, making its participation necessary under principles of fair hearing.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Abdul Aziz Gomda, opposed the application, maintaining that the matter had already been addressed by the court and arguing that the school should be treated as a public institution rather than a denominational one.

However, the Attorney General’s office, represented by the Deputy Attorney General alongside Stella Badu and Sarah Fafa Kpodo, did not oppose the application.

State attorneys noted that although the school is publicly administered, issues relating to its proprietorship had already been raised in their filings, supporting the inclusion of the Church as a party.

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In its ruling, the court held that the applicants had demonstrated sufficient legal interest in the matter to be joined as necessary parties.

The court therefore granted the application and ordered that the Trustees of the Methodist Church Ghana be served with all existing court documents relating to the case.

JKB/AM

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