The Supreme Court of Ghana dismisses legal objections to the anti-LGBT bill

Wednesday, Ghana’s Supreme Court threw out two different cases that were questioning the legality of one of Africa’s strictest anti-LGBT laws. This means that the president can sign the law into effect.

In February, the West African country’s government passed the bill unanimously. It makes it harder for LGBT people and people who support lesbian, gay, bisexual, or other non-traditional sexual or gender identities to get their rights.

But President Nana Akufo-Addo didn’t sign it right away because of the cases that were brought to the Supreme Court.

Two lawyers, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, each filed their own challenges to the bill, hoping to make it illegal and stop the president from signing it.

In the TV decision, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson from the seven-person panel court said that the cases were too early.

“There is no act until the president signs it,” she said, adding that both cases were “unanimously dismissed.”

Lawyers for Odoi and Sky told Reuters that they were upset with the decision and would think about what they could do next after reading the whole case.
The bill was backed by a group of Christian, Muslim, and native Ghanaian leaders.

Before this law, having sex with someone who is gay could get you up to three years in jail. There is now a prison sentence of up to five years for “willful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities” under this bill.

Supporters of the bill have been pushing for it to become law even though the finance ministry said it could jeopardize $3.8 billion in World Bank loans and a $3-billion loan deal from the International Monetary Fund meant to help Ghana get out of an economic crisis.

According to Abena Takyiwaa Manuh, senior fellow at the Centre for Democratic Governance in Accra, “just this pronouncement, this kind of formality, actually puts at risk the lives and health of members of the LGBT community and some of us who are human rights defenders.” She said this from the court.

“They can now do their worst.”