Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has explained why MPs must revisit the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, saying the House cannot allow discrepancies between its decisions and the final draft to remain unresolved.
His explanation followed Parliament’s decision on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, to rescind the bill’s third-reading approval, which was granted on May 29, 2026.
According to the Speaker, the Legislation Drafting Department discovered inconsistencies while checking whether the provisions in the final document accurately captured decisions made by MPs during consideration of the legislation.
He said the department’s tracking process was intended to ensure that parliamentary decisions were correctly reflected in the final draft.
However, where the discrepancies involved substantive decisions of the House, the drafters could not make changes without returning the matter to MPs.
“The draft people could put them right. But once there are decisions, they cannot tamper with the decision of the House. It has to be brought back for the House to do the proper thing,” Bagbin said.
He subsequently put the rescission question to a voice vote, asking members to indicate whether they supported or opposed reversing the earlier decision.
“Those in favour, say aye. Those against, say no,” he told MPs.
After the vote, the Speaker announced that the House had approved the motion, formally withdrawing its earlier decision on the bill.
“Honourable members, the ayes have it. The House has accordingly rescinded its earlier decision, which was taken on Friday, May 29, 2026, in respect of the third reading of the Human, Sexual Rights, and Family Values Bill 2025,” he declared.
The decision clears the way for Parliament to examine the affected provisions again, including sections relating to sentencing and other areas requiring clarification.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been before Parliament in different forms since 2021.
The original version, introduced as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, was passed by the Eighth Parliament in February 2024.
It did not become law before the dissolution of that Parliament in January 2025, as it had not received presidential assent. The legislation consequently lapsed and had to be reintroduced.
A revised version was subsequently presented to the Ninth Parliament as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.
On May 29, 2026, Parliament passed the revised bill, which seeks to prohibit LGBTQ+ activities and criminalise certain forms of promotion, sponsorship and support.
The version approved in May included exemptions covering specified professional activities, such as legal services, media reporting and medical care involving LGBTQ+ persons.
The legislation has remained a subject of public debate, with supporters and opponents expressing differing views about its provisions and potential implications.
