‘Declare passage of Anti-Gay bill null and void’ — Journalist runs to Supreme Court

Accra-based Citi FM journalist Richard Dela Sky, who is also a private legal practitioner, has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court challenging the controversial anti-gay bill.

He says among other things that the bill is unconstitutional and should be struck out!

In the writ filed on Tuesday, March 5, Mr. Dela Sky cites Articles 2(1), 12(1) and (2), 15(1), 17(1) and (2), 18(2), 21(1) (a), (b), (d), and (e), of the Constitution and seeks a declaration "that upon the true and proper interpretation of Article 33(5) of the Constitution of 1992, …the passage of The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021 passed by Parliament on 28 February, 2024 contravened the Constitution and to that extent [should be declared] null, void, and of no effect."

The bill prescribes a jail term for advocacy of LGBTQ rights as well as the practice of same-sex relationships

Observers say the Bill would be among the harshest on the African continent.

Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo in a statement on Monday, decided to suspend the signing of the controversial bill until the Supreme Court rules on its constitutionality.