Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill not yet law, faces legal review — Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, recently passed by Parliament, still has a long way to go before it becomes law.

Speaking at a Q&A session at Chatham House in the UK on Monday, June 1, Mahama said several procedural and legal issues must be resolved before any decision on presidential assent.

He noted the bill has drawn major public interest because of its impact on family values and social policy in Ghana. “The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has probably been the bill that has evoked the most interest in Ghana. It shows how important issues of family values are,” he said.

Mahama pointed to concerns raised about how the bill was passed. These include questions over whether there was a quorum in Parliament at the time, and claims of procedural lapses during the legislative process.

“There have been a few issues raised. One, that there wasn’t quorum when it was passed. That’s an issue that has come up, and then two, there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage,” he stated.

He added that Speaker Alban Bagbin is addressing concerns about the process.

Once the bill reaches the Presidency, Mahama said it will undergo a thorough legal review. Because it originated as a private member’s bill, the Attorney General and legal counsel at the Presidency will examine it to ensure everything is in order before advising on assent.

“It must come for assent and so once the president gets it, you go through it because you are not part of the discussion in Parliament. The legal counsel in the Presidency and the Attorney General would sit on it and make sure that everything is in order before the president is advised to assent,” he explained.

The President also noted other constitutional options, including referring the bill to the Council of State for advice. If major issues are found, he could send it back to Parliament with specific concerns to be addressed.