PARLIAMENT LAYS ANTI-LGBTQI+ BILL FOR SECOND READING
Speaker Bagbin clears Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill for debate after constitutional review
Parliament has reintroduced the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely referred to as the Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill paving the way for its second reading and debate on the floor of the House.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin directed the Business Committee to schedule the bill for consideration after determining that it meets all constitutional and procedural requirements under the Standing Orders.
The Speaker’s decision was guided by Standing Order 187(2), which mandates that he inform the House whether a private member’s bill complies with Article 108 of the 1992 Constitution before it can be formally introduced.
The re-laying of the bill marks a significant milestone in Parliament’s renewed engagement with the proposed legislation, which has attracted intense public debate both locally and internationally since it was first introduced.
Following the inauguration of the Ninth Parliament, Speaker Bagbin referred the bill on January 28, 2025, to the Office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice for further review. The Attorney-General’s Office subsequently submitted its observations on April 7, 2025, which were forwarded to the sponsors of the bill for consideration.
The Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Private Members’ Motions later reviewed the proposed legislation and unanimously recommended that it be introduced in the House.
With the bill now formally laid for a second time, it is expected to be debated by Members of Parliament in the coming weeks as the legislative process progresses.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
