ILES) People gather outside the Ghana High Commission in London on March 6, 2024, to protest against Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill, now delayed until the Supreme Court rules on a legal challenge. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS \/ AFP)<\/p>\n
\n
Ghana\u2019s Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed two separate cases challenging the legality of anti-LGBTQ legislation, clearing the way for the president to enact it into law.\n<\/p>\n
Lawmakers approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country.\n<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 parliament unanimously approved the bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country.\n<\/p>\n
Read also:\u00a0Tinubu hosts Ghanas president-elect, John Mahama\n<\/p>\n
However, President Nana Akufo-Addo delayed signing it pending the challenges filed at the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, both lawyers, filed separate challenges to the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.\n<\/p>\n
Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, from the seven-member panel court, said in the televised ruling that the cases were premature. <\/p>\n
\u201cUntil there\u2019s presidential assent, there is no act,\u201d she said, adding the two cases were \u201cunanimously dismissed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Lawyers for Odoi and Sky told Reuters they were disappointed by the ruling and would examine their options after studying the full judgment.\n<\/p>\n
A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders sponsored the legislation.<\/p>\n
Gay sex was already punishable by up to three years in prison before this legislation. The bill now also imposes a prison sentence of up to five years for the \u201cwillful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that just this pronouncement, this kind of formalism, actually puts at risk, the lives and health of members of the (LGBT) community and some of us who are human rights defenders,\u201d Abena Takyiwaa Manuh, senior fellow of Accra-based Centre for Democratic Governance, said from the court.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can now do their worst.\u201d
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ILES) People gather outside the Ghana High Commission in London on March 6, 2024, to protest against Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill, now delayed until the Supreme Court rules on a legal challenge. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS \/ AFP) Ghana\u2019s Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed two separate cases challenging the legality of anti-LGBTQ legislation, clearing the way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":267540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-267539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n
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