Bagbin Facing Contempt Charge Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill: Activist Reports Speaker To Supreme Court

• An activist has called on the Supreme Court to cite the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for contempt over the anti-LGBTQ+ bill
• The activist complained that Bagbin allowed Parliament to proceed with the reading of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill despite her court case against the bill
• The activist has described Bagbin's actions as disrespectful to the Supreme Court

An activist has asked the Supreme Court to cite the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for contempt because of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

The activist, a researcher called Dr Amanda Odoi, said Bagbin allowed Parliament to proceed with the legislative processes for the anti-LGBTQ+ bill despite a pending court case on the matter.

She has asked the Supreme Court to sanction the Speaker of Parliament for supposedly ignoring the court's processes.

In her suit, she said the speaker had “continually violated and shown utter disregard for the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the court's process.

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“That the respondent’s clear, intentional and continuous disregard of the court process necessitates the Respondent being sanctioned for contempt in the public interest and to protect the dignity of the Court,” the Court documents state.

Odoi is one of two citizens who sued the Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney General over the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

She believes the Speaker, who is a staunch supporter of the bill, has been served with all relevant court processes, including one asking the court to place an injunction on Parliament’s consideration of the law.

She said despite this, the Speaker caused the bill to proceed to its Second Reading in Parliament.

“…his conduct in directing or causing Parliament to proceed to a Second Reading of the Bill, in full knowledge of the pending suit and related interlocutory injunction application, the Respondent has disregarded and disrespected the authority of this Court,” her suit said.

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“That such disregard interferes with the outcome of the pending litigation, brings the administration of justice into disrepute and undermines public confidence in the judicial system.”

Adoption of anti-LGBTQ+ bill by Parliament

YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana's Parliament, on July 5, 2023, adopted the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, which will criminalises LGBTQ activities in the country.

During the second read of the private members' bill, none of the legislators on both sides of the aisle opposed the bill, which is titled the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2022.

The bill moved to the consideration stage after its adoption, where a lot of pastors and Muslim leaders were in attendance to witness proceedings.

Organisations like Amnesty International-Ghana have protested attempts by Parliament to pass the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, citing human right concerns.

Source: YEN.com.gh