An ongoing legal battle over the presentation of the anti-LGBTQ Bill for assent by the President of Ghana has been adjourned by the Accra High Court.
The case, which involves MP for South Dayi Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, will allow his lawyers to respond to the Attorney General’s documents opposing the application.
During the court session on Thursday, attorneys representing the Attorney General informed the court that they needed more time to respond to additional documents filed by Dafeamekpor’s counsel. Stephen Tetteh Sackey, a Principal State Attorney, also stated that they had filed documents opposing the motion filed by Dafeamekpor regarding the controversial bill.
Lead counsel for the South Dayi MP requested additional time to address the issues raised by the Attorney General in their opposing documents. The case, presided over by Justice Ellen Mireku, has been adjourned until April 29 to allow for this response.
In the background of the case, Dafeamekpor filed a new application on March 25 to compel the Speaker of Parliament to submit the Anti-LGBT bill to the President within seven days. The Plaintiff is also seeking to compel the President to either sign the bill or indicate to Parliament that he cannot assent within the same period.
The Plaintiff argues that the bill has been duly passed by the Parliament of Ghana in accordance with the country’s constitution and must be presented to the President for assent. An application for Mandamus has been made to the court to compel the government officials to fulfill their official duties or correct an abuse of discretion.
The reliefs being sought by the Plaintiff include a declaration that Parliament complied with all constitutional provisions in passing the bill, an order for the bill to be presented to the President, and a directive for the President to either assent to the bill or reject it within seven days.
The legal battle over the anti-LGBTQ Bill continues to unfold in the Ghanaian courts as stakeholders await the outcome of this contentious issue.
