Story: News Desk
Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has revealed that the reintroduced Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025 is expected to be laid before Parliament for its first reading between today and tomorrow.
Speaking in an interview with the media, Rev. Ntim Fordjour stressed that the bill, which had already been advertised on the Order Paper, was of urgent public interest and should be taken up without delay.
“Any time between today and tomorrow — I do not even think that it should go beyond today because it is already advertised and it’s a matter of urgent public interest,” he said.
He added that Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, had consistently expressed his support in principle for the bill and is expected to facilitate its swift presentation.
“I expect that today at 2:00 p.m., when Parliament reconvenes, it should be one of the first bills that should be called for first reading. Consequential referral to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs will be done by the Speaker,” he explained.
The MP noted that after the first reading, the Committee will invite the bill’s sponsors, a bipartisan group of MPs including Sam George, and other co-sponsors, for further engagement.
The subsequent legislative processes will then follow, leading to the second and third readings before passage.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LBGTQ+ bill, has been one of the most polarising pieces of legislation in recent years.
The earlier version of the bill, passed in 2024, was stalled after legal challenges and a court injunction prevented Parliament from transmitting it to the President for assent.
This new move to re-lay the bill marks a renewed push by its sponsors to ensure its passage ahead of the 2025 legislative calendar.
The bill seeks to criminalise certain LGBTQ+ activities and promote what its sponsors describe as “Ghanaian family values,” but it has also drawn criticism from human rights advocates and sections of the international community.
