Sam George

Anti-gay bill supporters call for swift action on pending court issues

Gertrude Ankah Oct - 08 - 2024 , 19:54

Hundreds of supporters of the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, otherwise known as the anti-gay Bill, hit the streets of Accra yesterday to express their frustration over the delay in the passage of the Pro-Family Values Bill.

The demonstrators, led by the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, who is one of the sponsors of the Bill, marched to present petitions to both the Attorney-General and the Chief Justice to urge swift judicial action to expedite the pending court case against the Bill.

The group, represented by a broad coalition of religious, traditional groups and other organisations, handed over two separate petitions addressed to the AG and CJ.

Both petitions complained of court delays that have kept Parliament from legislating the bill into law.

The Bill

The Bill seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities in they country, and it has sparked debates both within the country and internationally.

Supporters argue the bill preserves traditional Ghanaian values, but critics suggest it puts human rights in jeopardy and creates rampant discrimination.

Peaceful

The protest was peaceful yet determined, reflecting the growing tension over the Bill, which has been in limbo since its passage by Parliament earlier this year.

The protesters, attired in black and red, held placards some of which read: "You were not produced out of homosexuality", "Faith and family are protected by law, not LGBTQ+", "Pro family, Pro-justice", "Justice for 90% of Ghanaians". "Article 1(10) upholds Ghanaian Sovereignty, No LGBTQ+", among others.

Petition to the Chief Justice

A petition addressed to Chief Justice Sackey Torkornoo accused the judiciary of "deliberate delay" for failing to set a date for hearing two cases linked to the Pro-Family Values Bill, 10 weeks after receiving the cases. The petition said the Supreme Court had earlier expressed commitment to fast-track those two cases after a July 17 ruling, however, nothing has happened since then.

It criticised the prolonged inaction and warned of the risks that further delays might kill the bill's progress altogether, thus wasting three years of work and resources invested in drafting and reviewing the legislation.

"This would undermine the legitimate hopes of more than 90 per cent of Ghanaians," the petition said, citing a 2021 survey by the Center for Democratic Development that showed overwhelming support for the bill.
The group has asked the CJ to set dates for hearing within the next two weeks and ensure that the various rulings on the cases were made in good time for the bill to take off.

Petition to the Attorney General

The petition to the Attorney General accused his office of contributing to the delay by failing to file the necessary documentation on time.
It further supported this with the statement of the Chief Justice on the delays in the AG's office, which was very important in deterring the hearing of the case.

"The people of Ghana expect every elected or appointed officer in the judicial system to work diligently and expeditiously," the petition said.

Gov't must listen to Ghanaians

Addressing the gathering after presenting the petitions, Sam George urged the government to listen to the voice of the citizens.

"You must listen, the voice of the people is the voice of God, our sovereignty resides in the people of the republic. And they exercise that power on our behalf. They must do as we want and as our people demand.".

The revolution has started, we will protect the innocence of our children and we will fight against any influence of LGBTQ+ and homosexuality in our country. We will not allow for same sex marriage to be in our country", he warned.

A protester, John Amoah, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said the culture of the country must be respected and preserved.

He argued that just as polygamy was not acceptable in developed countries, so too the activities of LGBTQ+ should not be accepted in Ghana.