A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court is expected to deliver a judgment on November 22 regarding the constitutionality and legality of the presence and plight of street children.
The suit was filed by Child Rights International (CRI), a non-governmental organization, contending that streetism violates various articles of the 1992 Constitution, including those protecting children’s rights to education, health, human dignity, and social and economic rights.
Streetism refers to children living and working on the streets due to a lack of family ties or being caught in manipulative relationships where guardians exploit them for financial support through street-related activities.
CRI seeks several declarations and reliefs from the court, including a declaration that the Government of Ghana has breached constitutional articles by not taking prompt action to protect children from engaging in harmful work and ensuring access to healthcare and education.
The organization also requests the government to define penalties for child exploitation, improve healthcare provisions, establish procedures for free medical services, implement mechanisms to enforce education guarantees, and submit a plan of action outlining steps, strategies, and targets for compliance with the court’s orders.
Furthermore, CRI calls for periodic reporting to the court on progress made in adhering to the orders, with an initial report due two years after the final judgment and subsequent reports every six months until the completion of the three-year plan of action.