The government has endorsed a proposal that would allow Ghanaians to directly initiate constitutional amendments, marking a significant shift in the country’s constitutional reform process and expanding public participation in governance.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine announced the government’s position while presenting its response to the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) report during the Government Accountability Series.
The proposal would introduce a citizen-initiative mechanism, enabling registered voters to propose constitutional amendments, provided they secure the required level of national support and satisfy regional representation and gender-balance requirements.
However, the government has proposed a 10 per cent threshold of registered voters to trigger the process, rejecting the committee’s recommendation of five per cent.
Dr. Ayine said the higher threshold was intended to ensure that constitutional amendment initiatives reflected broad national support rather than narrow or sectional interests.
“The Constitution belongs to the people, and the people should be able to knock on its door directly,” he said.
Under the proposal, citizen-led amendment initiatives would be channelled through the Council of State, which would form part of the constitutional amendment process.
The Attorney-General also outlined the government’s implementation roadmap, indicating that the President would establish a Constitution Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) to prepare two separate constitutional amendment bills.
The first bill would address non-entrenched constitutional provisions under Article 291 and would require publication in the Gazette, consideration by Parliament and approval by a two-thirds majority of all Members of Parliament before receiving presidential assent.
The second bill would deal with entrenched provisions under Article 290 and would require publication for six months, parliamentary consideration and approval through a national referendum.
According to Dr. Ayine, entrenched constitutional amendments would only pass if at least 40 per cent of eligible registered voters participated in the referendum and 75 per cent of votes cast supported the proposed amendments.
The government expects the two amendment bills to be ready by October 2026.
Dr. Ayine said the referendum on entrenched provisions is expected to be held alongside the 2027 District Assembly elections, a move intended to reduce the cost of conducting a separate nationwide referendum.
In addition to constitutional amendments, the government plans to pursue broader legal reforms, including amendments to the Public Financial Management Act and the introduction of new legislation such as a Human Rights Act, to implement recommendations that do not require constitutional changes.
The Constitution Review Committee has proposed 206 constitutional amendments, including 147 amendments to existing provisions and 59 new provisions, making it one of the most extensive constitutional reform exercises in Ghana’s recent history.
