Supreme Court adjourn anti-LGBTQ bill case indefinitely – how live broadcast from court go take affect di case?

The Supreme Court don adjourn di case against di anti-LGBTQI bill until further notice.

Di apex court on Wednesday say di documents wey Speaker of Parliament present to di court contain strong language.

Di court say dem don direct di lawyers of di Speaker to file new documents.

Di bill currently dey di desk of President Nana Akufo-Addo as im tok say im no go sign di anti-LGBTQ+ bill for now.

Im explain say di reason na say two pipo carry di mata go court so im go wait afta di court decision bifor im go take action.

Di president tok say im “see how di passage of di bill for parliament in February don raise pipo anxiety for di diplomatic community wey tink say Ghana don dey backslide for im human rights record”.

Na so im decide say im go wait make di court determined di legality of di bill.

In fact, na two separate cases wey dey di court on dis anti-LGBTQ law mata.

Di two cases wey dey challenge di legality of di new anti-LGBTQ law

One journalist wey im too na lawyer, Richard Sky and anoda researcher for di University of Ghana, Dr Amanda Odoi dey ask di court to declare wetin Parliment do as “unconstitutional”.

Richard Sky wan make di court “declare di anti-LGBTQ bill null and void wey di law dey violate some provisions of di Ghana constitution wey dey protect di rights of pipo.”

Among di eight tins im dey ask from di Supreme Court, Richard Sky want make dem “declare say parliament of Ghana neva get di right quorum to pass di pass on di day dem pass am.”

“Parliment don overstep im jurisdiction to pass law wey go require di state to use public funds to implement.”

Wey di plaintiff also want make di court “restrain di speaker of parliament say im no go present di anti-LGBTQ bill to di president for im signature.”

For di researcher for di University of Ghana and gender activist, Dr Amanda Odoi, di Supreme Court gatz to “restrain di speaker of parliamen, di attorney general and di clerk of parliament say make dem no send di anti-LGBTQ bill to di president.”

Im also dey ask di court to declare say di bill dey violate pipo dia human rights.

Dr Odoi want make di court injunct parliament from sending dis bill to di president until di court rule on di whether wetin dem pass for parliament na constitutional or not.

Two oda cases dey against dis same anti-LGBTQ bill (Human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values bill), for di high court.

Di journalist Richard Sky and di researcher Dr Amanda Odoi go appear bifor di Supreme Court on 8 May, to move dia respective law suits wey dey challenge di legality of di passage of dis law.

But even bifor di Supreme Court go begin to hear di matter, attorney general Godfred Dame dey appeal say make di court telecast di hearing.

Why di attorney general wan make di supreme court allow live broadcast of di hearing

For one letter wey di attorney general write to di chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, im tok say “I dey recommend say make di courts allow full media access and coverage for all di four cases on dis anti-LGBTQ law.”

Di attorney general explain to di chief Justice say “sake of transparency and di huge public interest inside dis mata, she gatz allow make di media carry di hearings, live.”

“For di interest of administration of Justice, I wan make you gree for full media coverage of dis cases,” di AG tok inside di letter to di chief Justice.

Dis go be interesting tin wey go happun if di cheif Justice gree to dis recommendation by di attorney general.

One of di few times wey di supreme court don telecast live court proceedings na during di two election petitions for di kontri (2012 and 2020).

Even though di Supreme Court neva overturn di 2012 and 2020 election petition, dem decide say dem go allow full live coverage.

During di two petitions, di supreme court find say some irregularities don happun during di elections but wetin happun, neva fit to overturn di results wey di kontris electoral commission don declare.

But wetin di live coverage do for pipo be say, e make di citizens follow all di arguments and proceedings inside di court.

Im make pipo sabi follow di mata by dia selves and no be say somebody dey explain wetin happun for court give dem.

Through dat live coverage, pipo now understand wetin dem for do when dem go polling station on election day to vote.

Di court also use di opportunity to explain dia ruling and why each of di panel of judges tink about dis two petitions based on wetin di parties carry come.

For di live coverage of di election petitions in 2012 and 2020, pipo gather for small groups wey dem watch di proceedings.

For lorry stations, restaurants, offices and oda places, pipo don dey interested to know di outcome of di vote.

Na so interest go dey dis mata sake of plenti pipo dia eye dey follow am especially as di finance ministry tok say Ghana go fit suffer wey international bodies no go give di konti loans.

Sponsors of di bill don threaten say dem activate oda option for parliament wey go put pressure on top of di president to sign di bill.

Alreadi, one of di sponsors, wey be legislator, Sam George don describe di suits bifor di Supreme Court as “laughable”.

According to di lawmaker, “dis na bill, im no be law yet, so di court neva fit declare am as nullity.”

“Dis suit no get substance”. E tok.

E no clear how long dis particular case go travel but all eyes go dey inside di Supreme Court to follow dis one.

Di president go also wait to see how dis go end, bifor im go decide if im wan sign di bill into law or if parliament go do more amendment to di bill.

Wetin di new anti-LGBTQ bill dey tok

For dis new law, pesin wey don engage for dis activities go fit go jail for between six months and three years.

Na so pesin wey advertise and promote LGBT activities go enta jail for up to ten years.

Dis advert or promotion go fit be through technology, social media or traditional media.

Also pesin wey sponsor LGBT activities go dey against di law.

One clause for di law also dey criminalize physical attack on pipo wey dey involve in LGBT activities.

Anoda clause for di law dey prohibit formation of LGBT groups.

For pesin wey wan do gender reassignment through surgery, na crime for dis new law.

Such pipo also neva go fit adopt pikin for any facility or social welfare agency.