Recent Events Regarding Commonwealth Hall

Accra, July 1, GNA - The University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday sent out a statement informing the general public about recent developments regarding the decision by the University authorities to change the status Commonwealth Hall.

The statement, signed by Joseph Budu, Registrar of the University, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra noted that the University of Ghana held a press briefing on Monday, 10th May 2010 where the University sought to explain the rationale for the decisions it had taken recently regarding Common wealth Hall and to enable members of the media to ask questions for clarification.

It would be recalled that a Fast Track High Court in Accra, on June 25, 2010, gave it's ruling on two issues before it, being: Whether the Pro-Vice-Chancellor should remain a party/defendant in the (Common wealth Hall JCR) Case before it; and the motion for an interim injunction filed by the plaintiffs to restrain the Defendants from attempting to and taking any steps to shut down or convert Commonwealth Hall into a post graduate mixed gender hall of residence pending the final determination of the case. The Court ruled that there was no cause of action established against the Pro-vice chancellor and therefore he ceased to be a defendant in the matter. His name would therefore be struck out of the case.

The statement indicated that the Court granted the application to restrain the University from converting Common wealth Hall into a post graduate mixed gender Hall until the end of the 2010/ 2011 academic year or upon determination of substantive matter, which ever is earlier. It further noted that the Council of the University at a meeting on May 14 this year, had the opportunity to discuss the issues at stake extensively and to consider all petitions and memoranda received to date. These include: Measures aimed at turning Commonwealth Hall into a post graduate Hall with mixed gender, decongesting the hall in the process, Referred the petition addressed to it by the Hall council and Old vandals Association to the Executive Committee for consideration.(This decision of the council was conveyed to the Hall council in a letter dated 17th May, 2010.), Noted that the Residence Board was considering the detailed implementation of the decisions and any suggestions that had come up to date would be duly considered.

The statement further stated that soon after the meeting of Council on 14th May 2010, the University was informed that Commonwealth Hall JCR had decided to take up the matter in court. The University stressed further that the action it had taken, although was occasioned by the 13th March incident, was not a punishment but rather an action to help curb the tendency for such behavior in the future, adding that the committee set up by the Dean of Students to identify persons who were involved in the specific incidents of 13th March had not completed it's assignment yet.

The statement further gave the assurance that after the committee's work had been completed, the persons involved would be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for junior members to further deliberate on the matter and propose the relevant specific sanctions The University assured all law-abiding members of Commonwealth Hall and members of the public who have been following these events that it had advised it's solicitors to file an appeal against the court's decision, and asked for a stay of execution until the appeal was determined. It stressed that the University would continue to respect the decision of the court and would not take any action that would prejudice the matter.