The Human Rights Court 1 Division of the High Court has ordered the Achimota school to admit the two Rastafarian students at the centre of the school admission brouhaha.
The court presided over Justice Gifty Agyei Addo ruled that the fundamental human rights of two students cannot be limited by the rules in question.
Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Kweku Nkrabea sued Achimota school for denying them admission because of their dreadlocks.
The applicants are asking the court to declare that the failure and or refusal of the school to admit or enroll them on the basis of their Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs, and culture characterised by keeping their dreadlocks is a violation of their fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, particularly Articles 12(1); 23; 21(1)(b)(c); 26(1)); and 17(2) and (3).
They want the court to direct Achimota school to admit them with their dreads.
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea had earlier dragged, Achimota School, the Board of Governors of Achimota School, the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General to court, praying the Human Rights Division of the High Court to compel Achimota School to admit him into the school for the purposes of his education.
He is also asking the court to stop the school from ever discriminating against him on the basis of his religion and or creed.
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea prayed to the court to among other things make “A declaration that requiring Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea a child and adherent of the Rastafari religion and creed, to either cut his hair or forfeit admission into Achimota School, a public senior high school, is a violation of his rights to dignity…contrary to articles 15 and 28(3) of the Constitution, 1992 and section 13 of the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560)”.
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea’s suit is the second after one filed by Tyron Marhguy, the other Rastafarian who was denied admission to the school.
