Farmer Drags Speaker of Parliament and Attorney General to Court Over anti-LGBTQ+ Bill financial Irregularities
A farmer from the Ashanti Region, Paul Boama Sefa, has taken legal action against the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, and the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, over alleged constitutional violations in the handling of the Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
Sefa’s writ claims that the Speaker and the Attorney General violated the law by failing to conduct a fiscal impact analysis of the bill before it was laid in Parliament. He alleges that the provisions of section 100(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2026 (Act 921), which require that a fiscal impact analysis be conducted before a bill is laid in Parliament, were not complied with.
Sefa further argues that the Speaker intentionally breached the law because of his determination to push the bill through the legislative process, despite being fully aware of the statutory conditions required for laying the bill.
The plaintiff is seeking a court order to prevent the Speaker, his deputies, his agents, assigns, and privies from proceeding with any processes related to the bill until the statutory provisions of section 100(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2026 (921), are complied with.
He is also requesting an order directing the Speaker, his deputies, his agents, and privies to ensure compliance with section 100(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) before any further steps are taken in respect of the bill.
Sefa is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further breaches of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), and any other relief the court may deem fit.
The Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill has been the subject of intense debate since its introduction in Parliament earlier this year. For the most part, proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to protect Ghanaian values and morals, while opponents argue that it infringes on the rights of minority groups.
In conclusion, Sefa’s legal action raises serious questions about the handling of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill and highlights the importance of complying with the statutory requirements for laying bills in Parliament. The case will be closely watched by both proponents and opponents of the bill as it progresses through the court system.