Broadcast journalist and private legal practitioner Richard Dela Sky has withdrawn his case challenging Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ bill at the Supreme Court. The move comes after Dela Sky had initially filed for judicial review following the dismissal of his suit in December 2024.
On Wednesday, February 26, his legal team, led by Paa Kwasi Abaidoo, informed the nine-member panel of justices that they had filed a notice of discontinuation and sought to formally withdraw the case. Abaidoo explained that the decision was made to “let the sleeping dogs lie.”
The prosecution, represented by Chief State Attorney Sylvia Adusu, did not oppose the withdrawal, acknowledging that while they were prepared to address the case, they had no objection to its discontinuation.
In response, the Supreme Court struck out the suit, but not before reprimanding Dela Sky’s legal team for his absence from the hearing. “We take a strong objection to the absence of the applicant in court. The applicant being a lawyer should have known that in spite of discontinuation, he ought to be in court,” the court noted.
Speaking after the proceedings, Dela Sky’s counsel explained that the decision to withdraw was prompted by the absence of an active anti-LGBTQ bill before the President. “One of our grounds for contesting the matter was that it was a private member’s motion. However, with the new administration’s move to reintroduce the bill through the executive, our original argument became moot,” said the lawyer.
The case had originally been dismissed by the Supreme Court in December 2024, with a seven-member panel rejecting the lawsuits filed by both Dela Sky and human rights advocate Dr. Amanda Odoi. Dela Sky’s suit contested the legality of the bill, arguing that it violated several provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including those related to fundamental human rights. Odoi’s case sought to prevent the bill from being sent to President Akufo-Addo for assent.
Both legal challenges aimed to halt the passage of the controversial bill, citing constitutional violations and concerns over legal overreach.
Source:TheDotNews