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Ghana Court Dismisses Application to Stop LGBTQI+ Bill

The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed an application seeking to stop Parliament from considering the LGBTQi+ bill. A researcher, Dr Amanda Odoi, filed a case at the SC alleging Parliament's work on the proposed law is in breach of the 1992 Constitution. Her legal team, however, withdrew the case of contempt filed against the Speaker of Parliament.

Chief State Attorney Dr Sylvia Aduse, told the court that Dr Odoi's legal team has failed to show how it will suffer or which right of theirs should be protected in the interim.

Members of Parliament had unanimously approved and adopted the report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs recommending the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.

In the past year, religious leaders have pressured President Nana Akufo-Addo to be clear on his stance on LGBTQI+issues in Ghana, where "homosexual conduct" is illegal.

The Bill outlaws "gross indecency" in public - this is described as any public show of affection between people in a LGBTI+ relationship, and targets intersex people, in allowing the State to recommend "corrective therapy" or surgery. Read the full document

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Protesting against discrimination. (file photo)

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