The National Catholic Secretariat and the Registered Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana have been joined to the Wesley Girls’ High School religious rights infringement lawsuit.
This followed a decision by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court granting their separate applications to be joined to the action.
The two bodies are now the 5th and 6th Defendants in the matter, respectively, after the Trustees of the Methodist Church of Ghana were earlier joined as the 4th Defendant.
A private legal practitioner, Shafic Osman, issued the writ alleging that the rights of Muslim students are being violated. He named the Board of Governors of Wesley Girls’ SHS, the Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney-General as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Defendants, respectively.
Subsequently, the Trustees of the Methodist Church of Ghana were also joined as the 4th Defendant.
On Tuesday, July 7, lawyer Thaddeus Sory moved a motion for the National Catholic Secretariat to be joined as the 5th Defendant, while lawyer Somoa Asamoah moved a similar motion for the Registered Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana to be joined as the 6th Defendant.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, held that the two Applicants, based on the reliefs sought by the Plaintiff, could be affected by the ultimate decision of the Court.
Following the grant of the requests, the panel, which also includes Justices Ernest Gaewu, Henry Anthony Kwofie, Senyo Dzamefe, and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, ordered the Plaintiff to amend his writ of summons within 14 days to capture the two latest defendants.
Upon service, the two new defendants, the 5th and 6th, are to file their responses within 7 days, after which the matter will take its normal course.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
