Parliament Rescinds Passage Of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Over Drafting Errors
Story By : Zainab Ali
Parliament has rescinded its earlier approval of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, following the discovery of inconsistencies between decisions taken by lawmakers and the final draft of the proposed legislation.
The decision was announced by Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, after Members of Parliament voted in favour of reversing the House’s May 29, 2026 resolution approving the bill at the third-reading stage.
Explaining the development, Mr Bagbin said Parliament’s Legislation Drafting Department had identified discrepancies during its review of the document after the third reading. The department, which is responsible for translating decisions taken on the floor of Parliament into formal legislative provisions, reportedly found that some aspects of the final draft did not accurately reflect decisions made by lawmakers.
The Speaker explained that while the drafting team could correct minor grammatical and technical errors, it could not independently alter provisions involving decisions already taken by Parliament. Such matters, he said, had to be referred back to the House for reconsideration.
Mr Bagbin emphasised that the decision to rescind the earlier passage was necessary to ensure that the final legislation accurately reflected the intentions and resolutions of Parliament.
Following his explanation, the House voted in favour of the motion, with the Speaker subsequently confirming that Parliament had rescinded its earlier decision concerning the third reading of the bill.
The motion was moved by Majority Leader James Agalga, who had earlier disclosed that some of the proposed penalties contained errors in the calculation of penalty units and were not properly aligned with existing legislation.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on November 4, Mr Agalga warned that leaving the errors uncorrected could create serious difficulties for courts when interpreting and implementing the proposed law.
He maintained that the corrections were largely technical and were not intended to fundamentally change the substance of the legislation.
The latest development means the bill must return to Parliament for further consideration, allowing lawmakers to address the identified inconsistencies before proceeding with another third reading.
The legislation has had a lengthy parliamentary history. An earlier version, introduced in 2021 as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, was passed by the Eighth Parliament on February 28, 2024. However, it did not receive presidential assent before the end of that Parliament’s tenure, resulting in the bill lapsing.
It was subsequently reintroduced in the Ninth Parliament as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, before receiving parliamentary approval on May 29, 2026.
The proposed legislation seeks to introduce restrictions on LGBTQ+ activities, including provisions concerning same-sex relationships and the promotion, sponsorship and funding of LGBTQ+ activities.
With Parliament’s latest decision, the bill has not yet completed the legislative process required for presidential assent. It must first undergo the necessary corrections and receive another third-reading approval before it can be transmitted to President John Dramani Mahama.
The development has once again brought the controversial legislation into the national conversation, particularly regarding the accuracy of its provisions and the parliamentary procedures required to ensure that laws passed by the House are properly drafted.