The Supreme Court has granted a request by Richard Dela Sky, a private legal practitioner and journalist, to amend his claims in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-gay bill.
Alongside Sky’s case, the court is also hearing a similar lawsuit filed by researcher Dr. Amanda Odoi, contesting the passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill. These legal actions have halted the transmission of the bill from Parliament to the presidency for possible approval by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The lawsuits have sparked widespread national interest and debate. During proceedings on Wednesday, Sky’s legal team requested amendments to their claims. Despite objections from the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo granted the application.
Sky has been given until May 17th to submit a revised motion to rectify errors in his initial submission. Tensions rose during the hearing, with Chief Justice Torkonoo engaging in heated exchanges with Thaddeus Sory, the lawyer representing the Speaker of Parliament.
In his lawsuit, Sky argues that the bill’s passage violates several provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including Article 33(5), as well as Articles 12(1) and (2), 15(1), 17(1) and (2), 18(2), and 21(1) (a) (b) (d) and (e). Among his eight requested reliefs is an order declaring that the Speaker of Parliament breached Article 108(a)(ii) by allowing the bill’s passage, as it imposes a financial burden on Ghana’s public funds.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow amendments in these legal challenges signifies ongoing scrutiny over the contentious anti-gay bill and its compliance with constitutional principles.
