The ongoing debate surrounding the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, has taken another significant turn in Ghana’s legislative journey.
Alban Sumana Bagbin has announced that the House is preparing to revisit the proposed law for a second consideration to address procedural oversights and correct errors introduced during late amendments.
Addressing participants at the IPR Ghana 2026 National PR Conference and Excellence Awards held in Koforidua, Speaker Alban Bagbin revealed that the draft legislation will be officially reconsidered when Parliament resumes for its next meeting.
The decision comes on the back of findings that the initial handling and passage of the bill were characterized by procedural missteps and rushed amendments that occurred outside his direct supervision.
Explaining the necessity of the upcoming review, Bagbin emphasized that legislation of such national gravity must transcend partisan divide and represent the collective consensus of the people.
In his remarks, the Speaker stated:
When the law was rushed through at the last minute at my back, I came out and said no way, this bill must go through as a consensus bill. We don't want partisanship in it. It is for everybody. It means a lot to Ghanaians.
Parliamentary scrutiny revealed that several errors were incorporated into the bill as a result of hasty, last-minute adjustments, prompting the need for a comprehensive clean-up before final legislative assent.
Identified defects will be resolved systematically, declaring:
We have identified a few mistakes, most of the last-minute amendments, and therefore the next meeting will come back for a second consideration, and we'll pass it.
Firm in his stance, the Speaker made it clear that the bill would become binding law during his tenure in office, adding:
When we are no longer there, you can do what you want to do. But so far as we continue to exist, that law will be the law of the land. You can do whatever you want after I'm gone.
The legislative journey of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill has been one of the most prominent sociopolitical discussions in modern Ghanaian history since its formal introduction in 2021.
An earlier iteration of the bill successfully passed through the Eighth Parliament in February 2024; however, it did not receive presidential assent prior to the dissolution of that assembly.
Following the inauguration of the Ninth Parliament, the document was reintroduced under the title Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.
The current push for a second consideration follows a directive issued by Speaker Bagbin in June 2026, when questions were raised regarding whether the final stages of the previous passage conformed strictly with Parliament's Standing Orders.
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During his Koforidua address, the Speaker also took the opportunity to acknowledge the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, praising his vocal contributions during parliamentary debates and remarking that his leadership on the matter had made Ghana proud.
The impending reconsideration of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill highlights Parliament’s intention to balance swift lawmaking with procedural integrity and legal rigor.
By taking deliberate steps to fix technical errors and foster national consensus, the parliamentary leadership seeks to safeguard the bill against future legal ambiguities.
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