Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the president, has pledged to hold off on making a judgement regarding the contentious anti-LGBTQ+ bill that was recently passed by Parliament until after the Supreme Court rules. An individual filed a lawsuit challenging the bill, prompting this pledge.
Speaking at the Peduase New Year’s greetings ceremony with Diplomatic Corps members, President Akufo-Addo underlined Ghana’s dedication to maintaining its record on human rights.
“I am aware that the bi-partisan passage of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill by Parliament last week on a Private Member’s motion has caused significant concern among some friends and members of the diplomatic community that Ghana may be abandoning her previously impressive track record of upholding the rule of law and respecting human rights. I would like to reassure you that there will be no consideration of or occasion for such a reversal. Going into the specifics of the proposed law’s history now that it hasn’t arrived at my desk seems pointless.
However, let me just mention that I have discovered that a concerned individual has filed a challenge against the proposed legislation’s constitutionality before the Supreme Court today.
Under these conditions, it would also be appropriate for us all to clasp hands and wait for the court’s ruling before taking any further action. The way Ghana’s state institutions function will define how the rule of law and respect for human rights develop in the coming years. Parliament enacted the bill outlawing LGBTQ+ activism, funding, and promotion on February 28, 2024.
If convicted, the sentence may be anything from six months to three years in prison; for those who encouraged and sponsored the conduct, it could be three to five years.
Several parties, including Virginia Evelyn Palmer, the US ambassador to Ghana, have expressed disapproval of the Bill’s passing.
