Ghana’s Supreme Court has rejected legal challenges to contentious legislation that would criminalise LGBTQ activities, clearing a path for potential presidential ratification of the bill that has drawn international condemnation.
In a decisive ruling on Wednesday, the seven-member court panel dismissed two separate constitutional challenges filed by a Ghanaian broadcaster and a university researcher. Judge Avril Lovelace-Johnson stated that it would be “premature” for the court to intervene before presidential assent.
The Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, approved by parliament in February, proposes jail terms ranging from six months to three years for individuals engaging in same-sex relations. The legislation has garnered widespread domestic support in the conservative West African nation while sparking significant international criticism.
The bill now awaits final ratification by outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo, who has stated he would first await the Supreme Court’s ruling on its constitutionality. Akufo-Addo is set to step down on January 7 after completing his two-term presidency.
The legislation has raised serious concerns beyond Ghana’s borders. The United States and international financial institutions have voiced strong objections, with Ghana’s finance ministry warning of potential financial repercussions, including the risk of losing billions of dollars in World Bank funding.
Challengers Richard Dela-Sky, a broadcaster, and Amanda Odoi, a university researcher, argued against the bill’s constitutionality. However, the Supreme Court ruled that without presidential assent, no actionable legal intervention could be made.
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