Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has raised concerns over the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, calling for a review of the process after identifying what he described as procedural lapses in its final approval by the House.
Addressing Parliament, the Speaker commended Ghanaians, traditional authorities, religious leaders, civil society organisations and Members of Parliament for their support for the proposed legislation. He also praised the bipartisan sponsors of the bill and the committee that worked on it.
However, Mr. Bagbin noted that parliamentary records indicate the bill went through the consideration stage, third reading and final passage on the same day, May 29, raising questions about compliance with the Standing Orders of Parliament.
According to him, Orders 171, 172 and 173 of the Standing Orders outline clear procedures to be followed after amendments are adopted during the consideration stage. He explained that Order 173 requires the Clerk to Parliament to incorporate all approved amendments into the bill and make the revised version available to Members before the third reading.
He further pointed out that Order 172 requires at least one sitting day to elapse between the conclusion of the consideration stage and the third reading, unless the House formally suspends the Standing Orders.
Mr. Bagbin observed that although Parliament has the power under Order 3 to suspend its rules, no such decision was taken during the passage of the bill.
He also revealed that concerns had been raised about whether Members received the final amended version of the bill before the third reading. Some MPs, he said, had additionally questioned whether amendments adopted by the House accurately reflected the unanimous recommendations contained in the committee’s report.
“The eyes of the world are upon this Parliament regarding this bill and its LGBTQ+ implications. Whatever we do must be capable of withstanding legal and constitutional scrutiny,” the Speaker stated.
He stressed that legislation of such national importance must be handled with strict adherence to parliamentary procedures, noting that “procedural law is as equally important as substantive law.”
Invoking Order 24B, which enjoins the Speaker to promote consensus, Mr. Bagbin appealed to Members of Parliament to revisit the third reading decision and review the final text of the bill.
According to him, taking a second look at the legislation would not undermine its objectives but would rather demonstrate Parliament’s commitment to due process, transparency, constitutional fidelity and legislative certainty.
He urged lawmakers to approach the matter with wisdom, patriotism and mutual respect to ensure that the final legislation reflects both the will of Parliament and the aspirations of the Ghanaian people.
