ILLEGAL INTIMACY: THREE BEDROOM ACTIVITIES THAT COULD LAND YOU IN JAIL IN GHANA

In a stark reminder that the law extends into the private bedroom, legal experts have outlined several intimate activities between consenting adults that remain criminal offenses in Ghana, punishable by up to three years imprisonment.

Contrary to the popular adage that “what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom,” Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) explicitly prohibits acts deemed “unnatural carnal knowledge,” a term recently reaffirmed by the Supreme Court.

The prohibited activities include:

1. Oral Sex: Acts such as fellatio (blowjobs) and cunnilingus are illegal under Ghanaian law. The constitution narrowly defines “Natural Carnal Knowledge” solely as the insertion of a penis into a vagina.
2. Anal Sex: Classified as ‘sodomy,’ anal sex is illegal irrespective of whether it occurs between homosexual or heterosexual couples. This was explicitly stated in parliament in 2023 by then-MP for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
3. Use of Sex Toys: The Supreme Court, in a landmark July 2024 ruling, dismissed a challenge to the law and upheld the ban on using devices like dildos and vibrators for sexual pleasure, even for self-pleasure.

The court’s seven-member panel, presided over by Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, found that Section 104(1)(b) of the Criminal Offences Act does not breach the 1992 Constitution, affirming that these acts constitute a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment.

The ruling concluded a legal challenge filed by law lecturer Dr. Prince Obiri-Korang, who argued the law violated constitutional rights to privacy and liberty, affecting both heterosexual and homosexual couples.

The Supreme Court’s decision solidifies the legal boundaries of intimate life in Ghana, emphasizing that consent does not legalize acts classified as “unnatural” by the state.

Source:NKONKONSA.com