The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has instructed the Business Committee to place the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ Bill, on the parliamentary agenda for reintroduction and deliberation, affirming that the legislation does not violate any constitutional requirements.
Speaker Bagbin maintained that revisiting the bill would not result in an unnecessary expenditure of public funds.
The legislation completed all required parliamentary procedures and received approval from Ghana’s Eighth Parliament in February 2024. Despite this, it failed to receive presidential assent from then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and consequently did not take effect as law.
Following the establishment of the Ninth Parliament, the bill expired. This has created uncertainty regarding the legislative procedure, as the term of the previous Parliament ended before the bill could be signed, making reintroduction in the current session necessary.
In February 2025, a group of nine parliamentarians announced their plans to bring the bill back before the House.
Following this, Speaker Bagbin ordered a fresh drafting of the bill and its submission under Order 186. He also tasked the Committee on Private Member’s Bill and Private Member’s Motion with examining the legislation once more to determine its compliance with constitutional requirements.
Speaking to Members of Parliament during Tuesday’s session on February 10, 2026, the Speaker declared: “Honourable Members, I have reviewed the report of the Committee and form the opinion that the Bill does not impose or alter taxation or a charge on the Consolidated Fund in the manner stipulated in Article 108 of the Constitution.
“The Bill has gone through all the processes in accordance with the Standing Orders of Parliament. I therefore direct that the Bill be scheduled by the Business Committee to be presented to the House for consideration,” he stated.
The proposed legislation aims to establish severe criminal sanctions for same-sex relations and for activities that promote or advocate LGBTQ+ rights. Previous versions approved by Parliament included provisions for imprisonment for those who engage in same-sex activities or participate in related advocacy efforts.