By:Kenneth Appiah Bani.
In a landmark ruling, an Accra High Court has dismissed the West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) application for a stay of execution, ordering the immediate release of the withheld results of over 10,500 candidates who sat for the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The court, presided over by Justice Ali Baba Abature, described WAEC’s application as “unmeritorious” and awarded a cost of GH¢5,000 against the examination body. This ruling comes after WAEC withheld the results of over 10,000 candidates, citing alleged examination malpractices.
In his ruling, Justice Abature emphasized that the balance of convenience tilted in favor of the affected candidates, who may not be able to continue their education without the release of their results. The court also noted that WAEC failed to disclose the nature of the alleged examination malpractices to the affected candidates before withholding their results.
WAEC’s counsel, Monalisa Oppong Owusu, argued that the appeal had a greater chance of succeeding at the Court of Appeal and that releasing the results now would damage WAEC’s credibility. However, the court dismissed these claims, stating that WAEC’s application for a stay of execution was unmeritorious.
The ruling is a significant victory for the affected candidates, who can now access their results and pursue their educational goals. The court’s decision also underscores the importance of fairness and transparency in the examination process.
