Accra, Ghana
<meta content="uuidQIzxXG5snk9D" name="uuid"/>Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for a contested bill severely curtailing LGBTQ rights to become law after rejecting two bids to overturn it.
Lawmakers approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country.
The proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation is considered among the most stringent in Africa, stipulating jail terms of up to three years for engaging in same-sex relations and up to five years for promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ activities.
The bill will only become law after being ratified by the outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo or his successor, John Mahama.
Akufo-Addo, who officially stepped down on January 7 after two terms in office, has not yet announced his decision.
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He had said he would first await the Supreme Court's ruling on the bill's constitutionality. 
Opposition leader Mahama, who won the December 7 elections, voiced support for the anti-LGBTQ bill during the electoral campaign.
Gay sex is already illegal in the religious, mostly Christian nation, but while discrimination against LGBTQ people is common, no one has ever been prosecuted under the colonial-era law.
<h2>Fears for finances </h2>
"It will be premature for this court to exercise its interpretive and enforcement jurisdiction to intervene. Consequently, the action fails," Judge Avril Lovelace-Johnson, head of the court's seven-member panel said, reading its judgement.
"Until there is presidential assent to the bill, there is no act of which the Supreme Court will use its supervisory jurisdiction to overturn," she added.
The court's ruling followed cases filed by Ghanaian broadcaster Richard Dela-Sky, who challenged the constitutionality of the bill, and university researcher Amanda Odoi.
Odoi had sought to block the sending of the bill to the president for ratification.
The bill was initially introduced into parliament in 2021, but the vote faced delays.
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It sparked criticism from the United Nations and several countries, including the United States, as well as concern from Ghana's finance ministry, which warned of a risk of losing billions of dollars in World Bank funding.
Ghana fears it could face the same fate as Uganda, which last year passed one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world.
The World Bank froze lending to Uganda in the wake of the law, which imposes penalties of up to life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make "aggravated homosexuality" an offence punishable by death.
Ghana is emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades and is also under a $3 billion loan programme from the International Monetary Fund.
United Nations rights chief Volker Turk condemned the passing of the bill in February, saying that consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalised.
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Around 60 countries in the world ban same-sex relations, about half of them are in Africa, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA).
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Lawmakers approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country.



Accra, Ghana Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for a contested bill severely curtailing LGBTQ rights to become law after rejecting two bids to overturn it. Lawmakers approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country. The proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation is considered among the most stringent in Africa, stipulating jail terms of up to three years for engaging in same-sex relations and up to five years for promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ activities. The bill will only become law after being ratified by the outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo or his successor, John Mahama. Akufo-Addo, who officially stepped down on January 7 after two terms in office, has not yet announced his decision. Watch | Oman Stops New Import Permits For Indian Chicken Eggs He had said he would first await the Supreme Court's ruling on the bill's constitutionality. Opposition leader Mahama, who won the December 7 elections, voiced support for the anti-LGBTQ bill during the electoral campaign. Gay sex is already illegal in the religious, mostly Christian nation, but while discrimination against LGBTQ people is common, no one has ever been prosecuted under the colonial-era law. Fears for finances "It will be premature for this court to exercise its interpretive and enforcement jurisdiction to intervene. Consequently, the action fails," Judge Avril Lovelace-Johnson, head of the court's seven-member panel said, reading its judgement. "Until there is presidential assent to the bill, there is no act of which the Supreme Court will use its supervisory jurisdiction to overturn," she added. The court's ruling followed cases filed by Ghanaian broadcaster Richard Dela-Sky, who challenged the constitutionality of the bill, and university researcher Amanda Odoi. Odoi had sought to block the sending of the bill to the president for ratification. The bill was initially introduced into parliament in 2021, but the vote faced delays. Also read | Trump says US subsidies to Canada make no sense, suggests Canada become 51st US state It sparked criticism from the United Nations and several countries, including the United States, as well as concern from Ghana's finance ministry, which warned of a risk of losing billions of dollars in World Bank funding. Ghana fears it could face the same fate as Uganda, which last year passed one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. The World Bank froze lending to Uganda in the wake of the law, which imposes penalties of up to life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make "aggravated homosexuality" an offence punishable by death. Ghana is emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades and is also under a $3 billion loan programme from the International Monetary Fund. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk condemned the passing of the bill in February, saying that consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalised. Also read | Virginia man dies after bear in tree shot by his partner falls on him Around 60 countries in the world ban same-sex relations, about half of them are in Africa, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA). Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ghana's Supreme Court paves way for anti-LGBTQ law

Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for a contested bill severely curtailing LGBTQ rights to become law after rejecting two bids to overturn it. Lawmakers approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country.

Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for a contested bill severely curtailing LGBTQ rights to become law after rejecting two bids to overturn it. Lawmakers approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in February, drawing international condemnation despite gaining wide public support in the conservative West African country. The proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation is considered among the most stringent in Africa, stipulating jail terms of up to three years for engaging in same-sex relations and up to five years for promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ activities. The bill will only become law after being ratified by the outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo or his successor, John Mahama. Akufo-Addo, who officially stepped down on January 7 after two terms in office, has not yet announced his decision. Watch | Oman Stops New Import Permits For Indian Chicken Eggs He had said he would first await the Supreme Court's ruling on the bill's constitutionality. Opposition leader Mahama, who won the December 7 elections, voiced support for the anti-LGBTQ bill during the electoral campaign. Gay sex is already illegal in the religious, mostly Christian nation, but while discrimination against LGBTQ people is common, no one has ever been prosecuted under the colonial-era law. Fears for finances "It will be premature for this court to exercise its interpretive and enforcement jurisdiction to intervene. Consequently, the action fails," Judge Avril Lovelace-Johnson, head of the court's seven-member panel said, reading its judgement. "Until there is presidential assent to the bill, there is no act of which the Supreme Court will use its supervisory jurisdiction to overturn," she added. The court's ruling followed cases filed by Ghanaian broadcaster Richard Dela-Sky, who challenged the constitutionality of the bill, and university researcher Amanda Odoi. Odoi had sought to block the sending of the bill to the president for ratification. The bill was initially introduced into parliament in 2021, but the vote faced delays. Also read | Trump says US subsidies to Canada make no sense, suggests Canada become 51st US state It sparked criticism from the United Nations and several countries, including the United States, as well as concern from Ghana's finance ministry, which warned of a risk of losing billions of dollars in World Bank funding. Ghana fears it could face the same fate as Uganda, which last year passed one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. The World Bank froze lending to Uganda in the wake of the law, which imposes penalties of up to life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make "aggravated homosexuality" an offence punishable by death. Ghana is emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades and is also under a $3 billion loan programme from the International Monetary Fund. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk condemned the passing of the bill in February, saying that consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalised. Also read | Virginia man dies after bear in tree shot by his partner falls on him Around 60 countries in the world ban same-sex relations, about half of them are in Africa, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA). Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The United Nations said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned" by moves of Russian legislature to toughen up the notorious 'LGBTQ propaganda' law. The UN has urged Russian lawmakers to repeal the legislation.

On Thursday, the lower house of the Russian parliament (the Duma) voted to strengthen the law.

Rights campaigners say that new amendments in effect criminalise&nbsp;any public mention of same-sex couples.

The proposals "broaden a ban on any discussion and sharing of information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and their human rights", UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

The new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, is "deeply concerned" by the move, "which infringes even further on international human rights norms and standards", she said.

UN human rights experts have condemned the existing law as "discriminatory, violating fundamental rights to freedom of expression &nbsp;and leading to an increase in hate speech, hate crimes and abuse, including against children", said Shamdasani.

"The legislative amendments worsen this situation by broadening the scope of the law to a blanket ban on all communications on the subject," she added.

Turk is appealing to legislators, who will consider the proposals in further two readings, to reject the amendments, she said.

Turk also notes that exclusion, stigmatisation and discrimination of any group within a society "is corrosive, is a root cause of violence, and has a negative impact on society as a whole", Shamdasani added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The United Nations said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned" by moves of Russian legislature to toughen up the notorious 'LGBTQ propaganda' law. The UN has urged Russian lawmakers to repeal the legislation.

The United Nations said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned" by moves of Russian legislature to toughen up the notorious 'LGBTQ propaganda' law. The UN has urged Russian lawmakers to repeal the legislation. On Thursday, the lower house of the Russian parliament (the Duma) voted to strengthen the law. Rights campaigners say that new amendments in effect criminalise any public mention of same-sex couples. The proposals "broaden a ban on any discussion and sharing of information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and their human rights", UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. The new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, is "deeply concerned" by the move, "which infringes even further on international human rights norms and standards", she said. UN human rights experts have condemned the existing law as "discriminatory, violating fundamental rights to freedom of expression and leading to an increase in hate speech, hate crimes and abuse, including against children", said Shamdasani. "The legislative amendments worsen this situation by broadening the scope of the law to a blanket ban on all communications on the subject," she added. Turk is appealing to legislators, who will consider the proposals in further two readings, to reject the amendments, she said. Turk also notes that exclusion, stigmatisation and discrimination of any group within a society "is corrosive, is a root cause of violence, and has a negative impact on society as a whole", Shamdasani added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

UN expresses deep concern over Russia toughening its 'LGBTQ propaganda' law

The issue of LGBTQ rights has divided European Union. Hungary is pushing a law that allegedly discriminates against LGBTQ. The Vatican is pushing Italy to drop a new law on gay rights. Even football has become embroiled in the debate. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: In Europe, a fight for LGBTQ rights

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised a new law in Hungary banning LGBTQ educational content for children as 'wrong'. The German leader said she saw it as a contradiction that single-sex partnerships are allowed in Hungary but education about them is restricted.

Angela Merkel condemns Hungary's new LGBTQ law as 'wrong'

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Ghana's Supreme Court paves way for anti-LGBTQ law

Ghana's Supreme Court paves way for anti-LGBTQ law

UN expresses deep concern over Russia toughening its 'LGBTQ propaganda' law

Gravitas: In Europe, a fight for LGBTQ rights

Angela Merkel condemns Hungary's new LGBTQ law as 'wrong'