Speaker directs Parliament to reconsider passage of Anti-LGBTQ Bill
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has directed the House to revisit the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill.
This follows concerns over whether the level of bipartisan support reflected in the committee report was adequately demonstrated during proceedings on the floor.
The directive was issued after questions were raised about the manner in which the bill was passed by Parliament.
According to the Speaker, the committee report that accompanied the bill indicated that members from both the Majority and Minority sides unanimously supported the proposed legislation.
However, he noted that the same bipartisan consensus was not clearly reflected during the bill’s passage in the House.
Mr. Bagbin explained that where a committee presents a report indicating unanimous or bipartisan support for a bill, that consensus ought to be evident in the proceedings and decision-making process on the floor of Parliament.
“Neither did the proceedings of that day convey the unanimity, nor bipartisan understanding upon which the bill was initially promoted and deliberated upon,” he said.
It is therefore the Speaker’s view that Parliament must return to reconsider aspects of the bill’s passage to ensure that the bipartisan support captured in the committee report is properly demonstrated and reflected in the legislative process.
“My concern is that legislation of such profound national importance should proceed on a foundation of broad parliamentary support, bipartisan cooperation, and scrupulous adherence to the procedures established by the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament. The legitimacy, credibility, and enduring authority of any law depend not only on the objectives sought to be achieved, but also on the integrity of the process by which the law is enacted,” he added.
The development introduces a fresh twist to the passage of the controversial legislation, which has generated intense public debate both within Ghana and internationally.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill seeks to prohibit LGBTQ activities and advocacy in Ghana and has been championed by a group of bipartisan lawmakers. While supporters argue that it seeks to protect Ghanaian family values and cultural norms, critics have raised concerns about its implications for human rights and constitutional freedoms.
The Speaker’s intervention comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the legislative process surrounding the bill, including questions about procedural compliance and whether all parliamentary requirements were met during its passage.
He explained that “a legislation of this magnitude ought, as far as practicable, to command not merely the numerous support of a majority of Members, but also the broad confidence of the House regarding both its sustenance and the process by which it was adopted.”
“What is right must be done rightly.”
On June 1, President John Mahama said the recently passed bill would have to face further scrutiny before it can become law.
He noted that procedural issues surrounding its passage mean “there’s still quite a while to go.”
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Mr Mahama outlined the multiple stages the bill must still navigate after Parliament passed it on May 29, 2026.
The president said the bill originated as a private member’s motion, not a government bill, and would now be subject to legal and constitutional review.
“Once the president gets it, you go through it because you’re not part of the discussion in Parliament,” Mahama told the London audience.
“The legal representative, the legal counsel in the Presidency and the Attorney General would sit on it … and make sure that everything is in order before the president is advised to assent.”
President Mahama also pointed to two specific issues that had been raised regarding the bill’s passage: the lack of a quorum when Parliament voted, and procedural lapses during the process.
Earlier that day, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had described the Friday passage of the bill as a surprise, as he believed it was only supposed to be laid for consideration.
On the back of this, the Speaker called Parliamentary leadership for a crunch meeting to clarify what transpired on the day.
President Mahama was cognisant of this.
“I just got some communication that the Speaker was reading a statement to address the issue of the lapses in the passage of the bill,” Mahama said.
The president noted that he retains the option to refer the bill to the Council of State, an advisory body, if significant concerns emerge.
“If there are issues, substantial issues that are raised, the president would return the bill to Parliament indicating exactly what the issues are,” he said.
المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)
