Anti-gay bill likely to bring a lot of headaches – Kpebu

3 News

Sun 12th May, 2024 08:17

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu believes that if the Supreme Court says the anti-gay bill was properly passed hence the President should sign it, it could result in a lot of flak from the international community.

To that end, he has asked the general public to give the Supreme Court enough time to reflect on the case and come out with a decision that will be in the interest of the country.

“The truth is that could bring us a lot of headaches if the Supreme Court were to say that the bill has been properly passed so it should be presented to the president for assent, it is going to bring us a lot of flak so they need time

“If the Supreme Court says the anti-gay bill is properly passed, so President Akufo-Addo should go ahead and sign it will bring us a lot of flak or criticisms.

“So give the SC some time to reflect properly and come up with a decision. the SC is a policy-making court so if they think this one they don’t deal with it they won’t. There are a thousand and one ways they can look at this and say they will not deal with this case and there isn’t much that you can do,” he said on the  KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, May 11.

Kpebu further doubts that the Supreme Court would finish hearing the case against the Anti-LGBTQI bill within seven months.

If the Supreme Court is unable to hear the case within seven months, then it means that the bill will die with this 8th parliament on 6th January 2025.

He said “The timelines are very tight because 6th January 2025 is very close, barely seven months.

“If you look at what goes into coming out with a decision in such a case, I have my doubts that we should be able to complete this in due course, seven months is a bit tight. It is likely that this case won’t be concluded within seven months, we are going on a legal vacation, 31st of July is the end of the legal year so August, September, October, and two weeks in November are part of our legal break.

The Supreme Court adjourned the case against the anti-LGBTQI bill indefinitely.

The apex court on Wednesday, May 8 held the view that the documents presented to it by the Speaker of Parliament contained intemperate language. Hence they have directed the lawyers of the Speaker to file new documents.

Prior to adjournment, the court had dismissed the preliminary objection by the lawyer of the Speaker of Parliament, Thaddeus Sory in the case against the anti-LGBTQI bill.

When the court sat to hear the case which was carried live on television, Lawyers for broadcast journalist Richard Sky who filed the case, sought to amend one of the reliefs on the motion for injunction.

Lawyer for the Speaker of Parliament Thaddeus Sory objected to this.

He argued that he had already indicated in documents filed earlier that his side objected to how that relief had been couched and so allowing them to amend it would defeat his objection.

After hearing the arguments, the Justices of the Apex  Court chaired by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkoornoo ruled that “our considered view is that the preliminary objection is unnecessary and does not seek to assist any process before this court. Every party has an inherent right to present the appropriate formulation of their reliefs or other process before the court to enable the court to determine the real matters in controversy. The objection is dismissed.”

Ghanaian Journalist, Richard Dela Sky, and Researcher Dr. Amanda Odoi are set to appear before the Supreme Court, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, to move their respective lawsuits challenging the passage of the anti-LGBTQ Bill.

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