An Accra High Court will today, Thursday, February 20, hear a stay of execution filed by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) about withheld examination results. 

A High Court in Accra on January 30, 2025, ordered the Council to, as a matter of urgency, release withheld results of more than 10,500 candidates of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). 

It also ordered WAEC to publish the new results without any prejudicial footnotes. 

The court held that WAEC’s reasons for withholding the results varied ambiguously between “alleged examination malpractice and alleged irregularities.” 

It said withholding the results could hinder the growth and development of the country as candidates affected were potential leaders. 

The WAEC, however, on February 3, 2025, filed a stay of execution concerning the High Court ruling on January 30. 

The Council said the High Court did not consider the fact that it had communicated to the affected candidates and their counsel about ongoing investigations and invitations extended to them to participate in the hearing of the matter. 

It noted that the High Court did not consider the fact that respondents had been informed of withholding their results for their involvement in examination malpractice. 

The High Court also “wrongfully exercised its discretion” in granting the application by failing to consider the timelines within which the candidates filed their application for mandamus as against their demand to them for the publication of the results, WAEC said among other things. 

The WAEC contended that it had a duty to the public and to the tertiary institutions who relied on the results, to publish results which “accurately” reflected the outcome of the examinations it conducted. 

WAEC held that investigations into alleged examination malpractices were “currently ongoing and the release of the results will jeopardise the investigation process.” 

The WAEC said in the interest of justice, the Court should grant the application to stay the execution of the High Court ruling on January 30, 2025, pending the determination of an appeal at the Court of Appeal. 

More than 10,500 candidates from over 12 institutions proceeded to court praying for relief or orders in mandamus or injunction to compel WAEC to release all withheld results of affected students and publish new results without any prejudicial footnotes. 

The candidates held that they did not engage in any examination malpractice in the withheld papers. 

They said they had already purchased university application forms and that the universities had given them very limited time to upload their results. 

They held that WAEC had failed to indicate when it intended to conclude investigations, and they would be affected should the universities close admissions. 

WAEC on February 7, 2025, at a news conference in Accra, said all cases of malpractices being investigated would be finalised and the results released by February 28, 2025.  

The National Union of Ghana Students has also announced plans to stage a demonstration against WAEC for withholding the 10,500 results of the 2024 WASSCE.