In a significant development, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has written to the Ladyship Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkenoo pleading with her to allow live coverage of court proceedings related to the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill.
The Attorney General cited the immense public interest surrounding the anti-gay bill as the basis for the request.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice, the AG said “Respectfully, in view of the public interest in the cases concerning the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 (the Bill) I would like to recommend that the media (including radio and television) be given full access to the relevant courts to undertake a coverage of all proceedings in those cases concerning the Bill,” the letter stated.
The Attorney General’s request comes as two high-profile lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the bill are set to be heard in the Supreme Court and High Court.
Broadcast Journalist Richard Dela Sky and Researcher Dr. Amanda Odoi will appear before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, to move their respective lawsuits against the passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill and its possible assent.
This follows the two pending cases have effectively halted the transmission of the bill from Parliament to the Presidency, as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declined to receive the bill, citing the ongoing legal challenges.
Richard Sky, a private legal practitioner and broadcast journalist, is challenging the constitutionality of Parliament’s passage of the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill,” arguing that it violates several provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including the fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed to Ghanaians.
The Attorney General’s call for live coverage of the proceedings underscores the significance and public interest surrounding the anti-LGBTQ bill, which has sparked intense debates and polarized opinions within Ghanaian society. The decision on whether to grant the request now lies with the Chief Justice, as the country eagerly awaits the outcome of the legal challenges.
By Vincent Kubi
