Accra High Court Quashes Ghana Chess Association Suspension, Awards GH¢25,000

The Accra High Court, Human Rights Division, has quashed the decision of the Ghana Chess Association (GCA) to suspend chess player and instructor, Miracle Morris Stephen, from all chess-related activities in the country. The court also awarded Mr Stephen GH¢20,000 in compensation and GH¢5,000 in costs, bringing the total financial award to GH¢25,000. Presided over by Justice Barbara Tetteh-Charway, the court held that the suspension was wrongful, contrary to the GCA's own statutes and in breach of the rules of natural justice. It found that Mr Stephen was not given the required opportunity to be heard before the suspension was imposed and consequently described the disciplinary action as a "nullity ab initio". Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines The court further held that the publication of the suspension on the association's WhatsApp platform infringed Mr Stephen's right to privacy. It described the case as a clear instance of the improper use of a digital communication platform resulting in the infringement of fundamental human rights. Consequently, the court ordered the GCA to publish the revocation of the suspension and Mr Stephen's reinstatement on its official platforms. Mr Stephen was suspended on February 7, 2026, from all chess-related activities, effectively preventing him from participating in tournaments. The suspension followed his withdrawal from the Ghana National Chess Championships in January 2026, where he pulled out on the penultimate day of the tournament, citing health reasons. Mr Stephen was represented by Lawyer Charles Raymond Appiah Tandoh. The judgment comes amid other legal disputes involving Ghana chess, including a pending challenge to the February 2026 GCA elections over alleged irregularities. For Mr Stephen, who recently won the Tema Blitz Championship, the judgment brings an end to a dispute that temporarily kept him away from competitive chess. The ruling also underscores the need for sporting associations to exercise their disciplinary powers in accordance with their own rules, due process and the fundamental rights of their members. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Read the original article on Ghanaian Times . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.