Forty police officers have petitioned the Deputy Attorney-General over a directive issued by the Ghana Police Service, which they say contradicts a ruling by the Court of Appeal of Ghana ordering their promotion.

Through their lawyers, the officers argue that a signal circulated by the Police Service directing them to sit a competitive examination for entry into the Police Academy runs contrary to a judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Kumasi on January 22, 2026.

The petition, dated February 27, 2026, relates to the case C/Inspr. Christopher Okpattah and 39 Others versus the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General.

According to the petition, the officers first went to court after the Inspector-General of Police granted what they described as a “special amnesty” to some officers, allowing them direct entry into the Police Academy without writing the required entry examination.

The petitioners said they belonged to the same category of officers but were excluded from the arrangement.

They subsequently challenged the administrative decision at the High Court but lost the case.

However, the Court of Appeal later overturned the High Court’s ruling and decided the case in favour of the officers.

The appellate court also directed the Police Council (Ghana), the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Appointment and Promotion Advisory Board to take steps to correct the error that led to the officers being denied promotion.

The court further ordered that the affected officers be promoted within six months.

The officers’ lawyers say a Police Service signal dated February 17, 2026, has now listed the officers among chief inspectors required to sit the next competitive examination for entry into the Police Academy.

They argue that making the examination a mandatory condition contradicts both the reasoning and the orders of the Court of Appeal.

“The competitive examination as a mandatory precondition for entry into the Police Academy undermines and defeats the reasoning of the Court of Appeal and reintroduces the injustice the court sought to cure,” the petition stated.

The lawyers maintain that the Court of Appeal clearly directed the authorities to correct the error that resulted in the officers being denied promotion.

They have therefore called on the Deputy Attorney-General to intervene to ensure the full implementation of the court’s decision.