Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has maintained that Parliament retains the authority to revisit the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, despite its passage, rejecting suggestions that the House has exhausted its role in the legislative process.
Addressing members of the Supreme Court’s 150th Anniversary Planning Committee during a courtesy call on Thursday, Mr Bagbin explained that Parliament is not legally barred from reconsidering a bill after it has been passed and before it is transmitted to the President for assent.
According to the Speaker, the Constitution allows Parliament to reflect on legislation during the post-passage process and, where necessary, initiate procedures to reverse or amend its earlier decision.
He argued that claims by some legal practitioners that Parliament becomes functus officio immediately after the third reading of a bill are inaccurate, noting that the House can invoke a motion of rescission to reopen deliberations if inconsistencies, errors, or broader concerns emerge.
Mr Bagbin said the absence of a constitutional deadline for transmitting a passed bill to the President provides room for Parliament to undertake further review when circumstances warrant it.
His remarks come amid ongoing debate over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, which has generated significant public discussion both within Ghana and internationally.
The Speaker recently directed Parliament to reconsider the legislation following consultations with Majority and Minority leaders aimed at building broader consensus around the controversial bill.
He revealed that he had expected Parliament to begin only the consideration stage of the legislation before proceedings ended on May 29, and expressed surprise that the bill was fully passed during that sitting.
Mr Bagbin stressed that given the sensitivity of the legislation and the intense public interest surrounding it, additional stakeholder engagement and wider consensus-building were necessary before the legislative process proceeds further.
The Speaker’s intervention has reignited discussions about Parliament’s powers during the legislative process and the extent to which passed bills can be revisited before receiving presidential assent.
