Ghana anti-LGBT bill: Supreme Court dismisses legal challenges

With his two-term presidency ending on 7 January, President Akufo-Addo has not yet revealed what he will do.

Opposition leader John Mahama, who won this month’s presidential election, has expressed support for the bill.

If it becomes law, it is likely to face further challenges in court.

Gay sex is already punishable by up to three years in prison in the conservative West African country.

But this new legislation has already had implications for the LGBT community, said Abena Takyiwaa Manuh, senior fellow of Accra-based Centre for Democratic Governance.

“Even without the passage of the bill, people have been attacking members of a certain community,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“This kind of formalism actually put at risk the life and health of certain members of the community, and of course some of us who are human rights defenders.”

The bill was first introduced to parliament in 2021 but faced many delays.

When it was passed, the controversial bill sparked criticism from the finance ministry, which warned that Ghana could lose about $3.8bn (£3bn) in World Bank funding over the next five to six years if it was passed.