Following the Supreme Court’s latest dismissal of lawsuits challenging the procedural legitimacy of the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, MP for Madina Constituency has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to promptly decide on the fate of the controversial legislation.
The lawmaker, who is also a Member of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee spoke to the press following the court’s ruling emphasizing the president’s pivotal role.
“It’s now for the President to either assent or not assent the Bill into law. But whatever the case, there’s room within the country’s laws for the President to let parliament know the reasons for which he doesn’t want to assent to the bill; to which provisions of the law he has problems with and what proposals he has for parliament. So we look forward to hearing from the President”.
Hon. Francis Xavier Sosu, MP for Madina Constituency
The National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament further expressed concerns about the tight timeline, noting that the 8th Parliament has less than three weeks before its dissolution.
When asked if there was sufficient time for the President to act, Hon. Sosu admitted, “Honestly, we don’t have enough time. However, we leave it to the President to decide what to do with this one.”
The prospect of the bill’s demise with the 8th Parliament prompted questions about its fate. Hon. Sosu acknowledged that such an outcome was possible but noted it would not be unprecedented. “If this bill dies with the 8th Parliament, it won’t be the only bill to suffer that fate,” he remarked.
Unfinished Business: A Recurring Legislative Challenge
Hon. Francis Xavier Sosu also highlighted the broader issue of unassented bills by President Akufo-Addo, pointing to his own experience as a private legislator. “I have introduced or initiated about 20 private bills, but only three of them have been passed into law. Only one has received presidential assent,” he revealed.
He cited two notable examples still awaiting the President’s signature: the law abolishing the death penalty in the Ghana Armed Forces and the anti-witchcraft bill, both of which, despite being passed by parliament, remain in limbo.
“If [the president] doesn’t sign them, they will die with this parliament,” Hon. Sosu warned. Looking ahead, Hon. Sosu expressed a firm commitment to revisiting critical legislation in the next parliament.
“It would be our duty, as members reelected into the house, to pay attention to all these critical bills that have not been assented into law by President Akufo-Addo. We can reintroduce them either through the government or private members’ initiatives.”
Hon. Francis Xavier Sosu, MP for Madina Constituency
The Anti-Gay Bill, officially titled the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, has been a lightning rod for controversy both locally and internationally.
Proponents argue that it is a necessary safeguard against what they perceive as the encroachment of foreign ideologies that threaten Ghanaian traditions and moral values. Advocates for the bill claim it reflects the collective will of Ghanaians, rooted in preserving family systems and cultural heritage.
On the other hand, critics have raised alarms about the potential repercussions of the bill. Human rights organizations, both local and international, argue that it undermines fundamental freedoms, including the rights to equality, association, and expression.
The court’s ruling effectively allows Parliament to transmit the bill to President Akufo-Addo to assent it into law following the latter’s earlier insistence not to sign the bill when it was sent to the presidency earlier this year, attributing it to Richard Dela Sky and Amanda Odoi’s suit.
Its passage into law now hinges on the President’s response, which will likely come under significant scrutiny given the bill’s contentious.
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