Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference Files Affidavit in Supreme Court to Support Amicus Brief on Religious Rights in Public Schools
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has filed an affidavit at the Supreme Court in support of an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in a high-profile case concerning religious freedom and tolerance in Ghana’s public educational institutions.
The case was instituted by private legal practitioner Shafic Osman, who is challenging certain policies at Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast. Osman alleges that Muslim students are compelled to participate in Christian religious activities while being restricted from freely practising key aspects of their own faith, including wearing the hijab, observing prayers, and fasting during Ramadan. He argues that these practices violate provisions of the 1992 Constitution, particularly those guaranteeing freedom of conscience, religion, and belief.
The Bishops’ Conference filed the affidavit to verify facts and documents contained in their amicus curiae brief. The affidavit was sworn by Bishop Joseph Kwaku Afrifah-Agyekum, Episcopal Chairman for Education, who stated he was duly authorised by the Conference to represent the Catholic Church on educational matters.
Bishops’ Position
In an interview with Citi News, the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, clarified that the intervention is not in support of any particular party in the dispute. Instead, it aims to provide the court with broader perspectives on religious coexistence in mission-founded schools.
He grounded the Conference’s submission in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on religious tolerance adopted in April 2024 by government-assisted and private mission schools. The MoU seeks to promote mutual respect, accommodation of diverse faiths, and harmonious religious practices within educational settings.
National Conversation on Religious Tolerance
The ongoing Supreme Court case has reignited intense national debate about the balance between preserving the foundational Christian character and traditions of mission schools and upholding the constitutional rights of students from other religious backgrounds in public institutions.
The matter continues to attract significant public attention, with stakeholders from various religious groups, educationists, and civil society organisations weighing in on the delicate issues of institutional autonomy versus individual religious liberty.
The Supreme Court is yet to deliver a ruling in the case, which is being closely watched as a potential landmark decision on religious rights in Ghana’s education system.
Source: Official statements from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, affidavit filed at the Supreme Court, and interviews with Most
