University of Ghana to appeal against court ruling on Commonwealth case

Accra, July 1, GNA - Solicitors of the University of Ghana, Legon, are to appeal against the June 25th court ruling in the Commonwealth Hall matter and ask for a stay of execution until the appeal is determined. A statement signed on Wednesday by the Registrar of the University, Mr Joseph .M. Budu and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the University authorities had asked its solicitors to appeal against the decision. Meanwhile, it said, the University would continue to respect the decision of the court and would not take any action that would prejudice the matter.

It said a Fast Track High court, which sat on the matter gave its ruling on two issues: Whether the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University should remain a party or defendant in the Commonwealth Hall JCR Case before it, and a 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.

The court ruled that there was no cause of action established against the Pro-Vice Chancellor and therefore he ceases to be a defendant in the matter. It also granted the application to restrain the University from converting Commonwealth Hall into a post graduate mixed gender Hall until the end of the 2010/2011 academic year or upon determination of substantive matter, whichever is earlier.

The statement said since the May 10, 2010 press conference by the University, a number of issues have come up of which the University's Council discussed extensively and therefore endorsed an earlier decision to turn Commonwealth Hall into a post graduate Hall with mixed gender. It said the Council referred a petition addressed to it by the Hall Council and Old Vandal Association (the Hall Alumni) to the Executive Committee for consideration.

The statement continued that Council noted that the Residence Board was considering the detailed implementation of the decision and that any suggestion that had come up to date would be duly considered. It said, soon after the meeting of Council on 14th May 2010, the University was informed that the Commonwealth Hall JCR had decided to take up the matter in court.

The University, the statement said, however that its decision although was occasioned by the 13th March incident (where some Commonwealth Hall students were alleged to have misconduct themselves during a congregation) was not a punishment but rather an action to help curb the tendency for such behavior in the future.

It added that a committee set up by the Dean of Students to identify persons, who were involved in the specific incidents of the 13th March, has not completed its assignment yet.

The statement further assured that after the committee's work has been completed, the persons involved would be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for junior members to further deliberate on the matter and propose any relevant specific sanctions