Supreme Court to rule on anti-LGBTQ+ Bill lawsuits on December 18

The Supreme Court of Ghana has set December 18, as the date to deliver its judgment on two lawsuits challenging the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.

Broadcast journalist Richard Dela Sky and Dr. Amanda Odoi, a researcher from the University of Cape Coast, have filed separate cases, against the passage of the Bill in February 2024.

They are seeking the Apex Court’s intervention to determine whether the bill aligns with Ghana’s legal framework.

On Tuesday, November 19, a seven-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson reviewed the issues and statements of the case presented by all parties. The panel is made up of Justices Prof. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Barbara Ackah-Yensu, Samuel Asiedu, Ernest Gaewu, Yaw Darko Asare, and Richard Adjei Frimpong.

In Richard Dela Sky’s case, the court directed his legal team, led by Paa Kwasi Abaidoo, to submit an amended statement of case by November 22. The respondents—Parliament of Ghana (represented by Thaddeus Sory) and the Attorney General—were instructed to file their responses by November 27.

Similarly, in Dr. Amanda Odoi’s case, the court adopted all the memoranda and statements of the case submitted by both parties and adjourned the matter to December 18 for a consolidated judgment.

The impending ruling is anticipated to provide clarity on the legal standing of the controversial bill, which has sparked intense public debate.