Reconsider passage of Anti-LGBTI bill-Speaker directs parliament

The passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, has run into fresh procedural scrutiny after Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin directed the House to revisit aspects of the process.

Mr Bagbin’s directive follows concerns that the bipartisan support captured in the committee report was not clearly reflected when the bill was passed on the floor of Parliament.

The Speaker said the report accompanying the bill showed unanimous backing from both Majority and Minority members at the committee level.

However, he noted that the proceedings on the day of passage did not sufficiently demonstrate that same consensus.

According to Mr Bagbin, where a committee presents a bill as enjoying broad bipartisan support, Parliament must ensure that such support is visibly carried through the final stages of decision-making.

He said legislation of such national importance must not only command numbers, but also carry procedural legitimacy and institutional credibility.

He added that the strength of a law depends not only on what it seeks to achieve, but also on the integrity of the process through which it is enacted.

Mr Bagbin further stressed that a bill of this magnitude should, as far as possible, enjoy the broad confidence of the House in both substance and procedure.

The Speaker’s intervention comes after Parliament passed the bill on May 29, 2026, amid questions about quorum and other procedural issues.

He had earlier indicated that the passage came as a surprise because he understood the bill was only expected to be laid for consideration on the day.

Following that development, he called a meeting with parliamentary leadership to clarify what happened during the proceedings.

The bill seeks to prohibit LGBTQ activities and advocacy in Ghana.

It has received strong support from some lawmakers, religious leaders and traditional groups, who say it protects Ghanaian family values and cultural norms.

Critics, however, have raised concerns about its implications for human rights, constitutional freedoms and Ghana’s international obligations.

President John Dramani Mahama has also signalled that the bill will undergo further legal and constitutional scrutiny before any decision is taken on assent.

He explained that because the bill was introduced as a private member’s motion and not a government bill, the Presidency would have to carefully review it after transmission from Parliament.

He said lawyers at the Presidency and the Attorney-General’s office would examine the bill to ensure that all constitutional and procedural requirements had been met.

President Mahama also referred to concerns over quorum and procedural lapses during the vote.

He said if substantial issues are identified, he could refer the matter to the Council of State or return the bill to Parliament with specific concerns.