Supreme court deliberates on Ghana: In response to challenges to anti-LGBTQ+ laws enacted by parliament, proceedings have begun before Ghana’s highest court.
The court allowed journalist and lawyer Richard Dela Sky to challenge the contentious bill, which would punish people severely, including incarceration, for coming out as LGBTQ+ or fighting for LGBTQ+ rights.
The purpose of the March lawsuit was to prevent the bill from moving forward. There was an impassioned plea for the court to halt the bill’s passage through parliament and its subsequent adoption by President Nana Akufo Addo.
Disputes arose between attorneys and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo on the first day of the trial, raising tensions to an uncomfortable level. The use of inflammatory language in several affidavits was something that Torkornoo was concerned about and warned against in future submissions.
Chief Justice Torkornoo and four other justices of the Supreme Court presided over the proceedings, which were televised live because of the high level of public interest in them.
Before deciding on the law, President Akufo Addo has said that he will wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict.
Court will reconvene on May 17th to consider the case.
