The High Court in Accra has quashed the February 2026 decision of the Ghana Chess Association (GCA) to suspend chess player and instructor, Miracle Morris Stephen, from all chess-related activities in Ghana.
This was after the court concluded that his suspension by the association and the subsequent publication of the disciplinary action violated his rights.
Following that, the court has awarded a GH¢20,000 compensation and GH¢5,000 costs in favour of Miracle Morris Stephen.
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”.
Miracle Morris Stephen was suspended on February 7, 2026 from all chess-related activities, effectively preventing him from participating in chess tournaments.
The suspension followed his withdrawal from the Ghana National Chess Championships in January 2026, where he withdrew on the penultimate day of the tournament, in what he said was for health reasons.
The court found that publishing the suspension on the Association's WhatsApp platform infringed Morris's right to privacy, describing the case as “a clear instance where the improper use of a digital communication platform infringed upon fundamental human rights.”
The GCA was ordered to publish the revocation of the suspension and Morris's reinstatement on its official platforms.
Morris was represented in court by Charles Raymond Appiah Tandoh.
