The Judicial Service of Ghana (JSG) has addressed recent media reports about a planned protest by sponsors of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, commonly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
The protest, called the “Family Values March,” is scheduled for September 17, 2024, and targets the Chief Justice.
This protest was announced by the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, a sponsor of the bill, who voiced frustration over the Supreme Court’s decision on July 17, 2024, to defer a ruling on an interlocutory injunction aimed at preventing Parliament from sending the bill to the President.
The MP criticized this deferral as a “deliberate and malicious attempt by the Chief Justice to delay the bill’s passage.”
In response, the Judicial Service of Ghana provided an update on the two constitutional cases related to the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill currently before the Supreme Court.
The first case, initiated by Richard Sky, and the second, filed by Dr. Amanda Odoi, both involve applications for interlocutory injunctions to stop Parliament from transmitting the bill to the President.
The Supreme Court, after considering the applications on several occasions, decided to defer its decision, indicating that the issues raised would be more effectively addressed through an early trial.
The court stressed that an early trial would clarify the constitutional matters involved.
The Judicial Service clarified that the delay is due to procedural requirements, specifically that the defendants in both cases have not yet filed their Statements of Case, which are necessary for the trial to proceed.
The Judicial Service assured the public that the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and High Courts are open to receiving all necessary filings and that the judiciary is ready to hear any case that is prepared for trial.
The Judicial Service’s statement aims to provide transparency and reassure stakeholders of the judiciary’s commitment to justice and due process.
