The Supreme Court is set to hear legal arguments for the first time on Wednesday in two lawsuits filed by gender activist Dr. Amanda Odoi and Broadcaster Richard Dela Sky against the constitutionality of the anti-LGBTQ bill passed by Parliament in February.
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The lawsuits appear to have been one of the blockades to the signing of the bill by President Akufo-Addo – an action that has drawn much controversy.
In March, when the President’s Executive Secretary, Nana Asante Bediatuo wrote to Parliament asking it to “cease and desist” from submitting the bill for signing in light of the two lawsuits, it triggered a not-very-happy reaction from the Speaker of Parliament and minority MPs largely.
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The MPs considered that letter a “threat to Ghana’s democracy” and the principle of separation of powers, and later had the Speaker halt the vetting and approval of new government ministers.
“This letter only reflects President Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over other organs of state and that is unacceptable and that must be fought by all persons who love democracy and who cherish the principles and values of the 1992 Constitution,” former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu had said.
Since the bill was passed, President Akufo-Addo has been facing pressure from conservative groups and sponsors of the legislation to sign it into law.
Recently, efforts by one of the bill’s main sponsors to compel the President to act on the text was rejected by the High Court on grounds that the Supreme Court had yet to conclude similar cases before it.
Read Also: High Court Dismisses Dafeamekpor’s Suit to Compel Akufo-Addo to Receive Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
But with an IMF programme in place and the Finance Ministry’s advice on the economic implications of the law, it’s not yet determinable if the President would indeed sign the bill should the current lawsuits fail.
