Proponents of anti-gay bill to protest today over delays in court rulings

Proponents of the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-gay bill, are staging a protest today, Tuesday, October 8, to express frustration over the delays in the bill’s final approval.

The protest aims to push for the president’s immediate assent to the bill, which has been awaiting action since Parliament passed it on February 28.

The delays have been further compounded by a Supreme Court ruling on July 17, which postponed judgments on anti-gay cases until all related legal matters are addressed.

In an interview, the bill’s lead advocate and Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, stressed that the Chief Justice has the authority to fast-track the resolution of the matter if she deems it necessary.

“The Chief Justice has the power to demand of all the parties in the case, that they file within the times stipulated in the Rules of Procedure, that you file a statement of claim within 14 days. All of this is clear and the Chief Justice is the one who has powers to ensure that.

“If everybody is going to take one year to file their documents, the Chief Justice thinks that that is a proper delivery of justice, where parties in the case will determine as and when and how they would be doing their filing.

“Justice delayed is justice denied and the expeditious delivery of justice is critical to an effective justice delivery system and so the Chief Justice has to be up and doing.”