The Supreme Court of Ghana has unanimously dismissed a petition challenging the constitutionality of the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which seeks to criminalize LGBTQI advocacy.

The petition, filed by broadcast journalist and lawyer Richard Dela Sky, argued that the bill was null and void. However, a seven-member panel, led by Justice Lovelace Avril Johnson, rejected the claim, ruling that the legislative process for the proposed law was constitutional.

The bill, which has sparked significant national debate, aims to impose penalties on individuals involved in promoting or funding LGBTQI-related activities. If enacted, it would also target those providing indirect support to LGBTQI causes.

Supporters of the bill argue that it is essential to protect Ghanaian cultural and family values from foreign influences. However, critics, including human rights groups, have condemned it as a violation of fundamental rights, particularly the freedoms of expression, association, and equality. They warn it could foster discrimination and persecution of the LGBTQI community.

Alongside Sky’s petition, equality advocate Amanda Odoi had also filed a legal challenge, claiming Parliament did not meet the quorum requirements outlined in the Constitution during the bill’s passage. Both petitions sought to have the bill declared unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the bill had not yet become law and could not be subjected to judicial review until it received presidential assent. Justice Johnson explained that the legislative process cannot be challenged until the bill becomes enforceable law.

The ruling underscores the ongoing legal and societal divisions over the proposed anti-LGBTQI legislation in Ghana.

Source:TheDotNews