Researcher Drags Speaker Bagbin To Court For Contempt Over Anti-gay Bill

A researcher Dr Amanda Odoi has a lawsuit at the Supreme Court asking the court to sanction the Speaker of Parliament for showing contempt and disregard for court processes in the matter of the anti-gay bill, has said failure to sanction Mr Bagbin would send a signal that the constitution can be disrespected with impunity.

A reseacher, Dr Amanda Odoi has filled a lawsuit at the Apex Court against Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin praying the court to sanction the third gentle of the land for contempt,

According to him, Mr Bagbin who has been a lawmaker since the beginning of the forth republican constitution in 1993, disregarded court processes in the matter of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 currently before Parliament.

The claimant stated that a failure on the part of the Supreme Court to punish the House Speaker would send signals that, the constitution can be disrespected with impunity.

“That should this honorable court fail to exercise its power to punish [the Speaker] for contempt, it would send the signal that the 1992 Constitution and the authority of the Court may be disregarded and disrespected with impunity, thus undermining respect for the administration of justice and making a mockery of the rule of law,” portions of the suit said.

“That the respondent’s clear, intentional and continuous disregard of the court process necessitates the Respondent being sanctioned for contempt in the public interest and to protect the dignity of the Court,” the Court documents state.

“That by his conduct in directing or causing Parliament to proceed to a Second Reading of the Bill, in full knowledge of the pending suit and related interlocutory injunction application, the Respondent has disregarded and disrespected the authority of this Court.

“That such disregard interferes with the outcome of the pending litigation, brings the administration of justice into disrepute and undermines public confidence in the judicial system.”

Last week July 5, 2023, Parliament adopted the report of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliament Committee on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill after its second reading.

Among the members who contributed to the debate on the bill was Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and MP for Okere Dan Botwe, who described as “madness” the activities of lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals, and transgender (LGBT) humans.