President John Dramani Mahama has said the recently passed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, still faces several legal and procedural hurdles before it can become law.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session at Chatham House in the United Kingdom on Monday, June 1, Mahama said a number of concerns surrounding the bill’s passage must be addressed before any decision is made on presidential assent.
The President noted that the legislation has generated intense public interest because of its implications for family values and social policy in Ghana.
“The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has probably been the bill that has evoked the most interest in Ghana. It shows how important issues of family values are,” he said.
Mahama disclosed that questions have been raised about the process through which Parliament approved the bill, including concerns about whether the required quorum was present at the time of its passage.
“There have been a few issues raised. One, that there wasn’t quorum when it was passed. That’s an issue that has come up, and then two, there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage,” he stated.
The President said he had been informed that Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, was addressing concerns relating to the legislative process that led to the bill’s approval.
He explained that once the legislation is formally transmitted to the Presidency, it will be subjected to a comprehensive legal review before any decision is taken.
Mahama said the Attorney General and legal advisers at the Presidency would scrutinise the bill, noting that it was introduced as a private member’s bill rather than government-sponsored legislation.
He further outlined constitutional options available to the President, including seeking advice from the Council of State if concerns arise over the legislation.
The President added that should significant issues be identified during the review process, the bill could be returned to Parliament with specific recommendations for reconsideration and correction.
