Parliament moves sittings to 2pm as Bagbin vows never to back laws silencing journalists

Listen to this articleAI narrationPlayback position0:002:571010Playback speed1×Plenary sittings will start at 2:00 pm from Tuesday to Friday under a directive from Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who also pledged to oppose laws that would silence journalists.

In his commencement address to Parliament on Tuesday, November 10, Bagbin said committees would spend mornings reviewing bills, holding inquiries, consulting stakeholders and drafting reports.

The directive draws on Parliament's Standing Orders, specifically Orders 5 and 55. Ordinary sittings remain five hours long, from Tuesday to Friday, putting the usual closing time at 7:00 pm after a 2:00 pm start.

The Speaker retains authority to adjust hours for special business, including Thursday, November 12, when the House is scheduled to convene at 6:00 pm for the 2027 Budget presentation by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

Bagbin noted that inconsistent start times over the years—ranging from 10:00 am and 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm—along with morning traffic for commuting MPs, had disrupted planning for lawmakers, committees and ministers.

"The time has come for us to settle on a more consistent and predictable arrangement," he said, adding: "The purpose of this direction is simply to make Parliament work better."

He urged committee leaders, whom he recently asked to put the national interest above partisan politics, to use the mornings to clear referrals on time amid concerns over finished committee reports not reaching the floor.

The afternoon schedule also gives ministers the morning for executive duties before appearing in the chamber and lets more citizens follow proceedings on Parliament TV and online streams after work.

"A certain time of 2pm must mean precisely that. It must not become an invitation to commence proceedings at 3pm or later," Bagbin warned, after Parliament abandoned an earlier 2:00 pm trial in October 2025 over late adjournments and attendance concerns.

In the same commencement address, Bagbin urged the media to hold public officials accountable without fear of censorship or political interference, citing Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution.

"I would rather have a media that poses uncomfortable questions than one that sings hallelujahs and hossanas to us every time. And I would rather this house be told the naked truth in unpleasant words than have a media that sweeps our dirt under the carpet," he said.

"While I am Speaker, I will not support any law whose purpose or effect is to cow journalists into silence," added Bagbin, who on Saturday promised reporters direct online access to parliamentary records before the end of 2026.