Ghana’s Supreme Court has deferred its ruling on a request to stop parliament from sending a controversial anti-LGBTQ bill to President Nana Akufo-Addo for final approval.
The decision means the debate around the bill, which has been a major topic in Ghana since its passage in February, will not be part of the campaign for the December presidential election.
Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, leading the five-member Supreme Court panel, said, “The court will expedite the case.” However, the case has been postponed indefinitely with no set date for further rulings.
Ghana’s Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, welcomed the court’s decision. “I think the court is fair in coming by that approach,” he told the media.
Two lawsuits are challenging the passage of the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill,” which has been criticized internationally for curbing human rights.
Broadcaster Richard Dela Sky is questioning the constitutionality of the bill, saying it violates several parts of the 1992 Constitution. Amanda Odoi, the other plaintiff, wants a restraining order to stop the parliament speaker, the attorney-general, and the clerk of parliament from sending the bill to President Akufo-Addo.
The bill proposes jail terms of six months to three years for engaging in LGBTQ sex and three to five years for promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ activities. It has been condemned by rights activists but has strong support in the conservative West African country.
Ghana’s finance ministry has warned that the bill could lead to a loss of about $3.8 billion in World Bank financing, especially as the country is emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades and is under a $3 billion loan program from the International Monetary Fund.
President Akufo-Addo, who is stepping down after two terms, has not approved the bill due to the ongoing court cases against it. His New Patriotic Party (NPP) faces a tough race against the main opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the upcoming presidential election.
The bill, known as the anti-gay bill, has faced international condemnation from organizations like the United Nations, the United States, and the British government.
Despite this, it has significant support among MPs and is backed by a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders.
