The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has been cited for contempt of court in the wake of debate on the anti LGBTQIA+ bill.
The plaintiff, a Researcher called Dr. Amanda Odoi claims that the speaker has allowed proceedings on the said bill despite facing legal actions on the same.
By this conduct, Mr. Bagbin is said to have continually violated the 1992 constitution.
“The respondent has continually violated and shown utter disregard for the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the court process.
“That the respondent’s clear, intentional and continuous disregard of the court process necessitates the Respondent being sanctioned for contempt in the public interest and to protect the dignity of the Court,” the Court documents said.
Dr. Odoi noted that her checks reveal that the defendant has been served with all necessary court documents on the matter. His conduct, therefore, undermines the public confidence in the judicial system.
“That by his conduct in directing or causing Parliament to proceed to a Second Reading of the Bill, in full knowledge of the pending suit and related interlocutory injunction application, the Respondent has disregarded and disrespected the authority of this Court.
“That such disregard interferes with the outcome of the pending litigation, brings the administration of justice into disrepute, and undermines public confidence in the judicial system.”
The complainer has therefore called for an imposition of sanction on the speaker, saying doing so will preserve the court’s good image.
This news follows a few other legal actions invoked by some individuals to prevent parliament from passing the anti-LGBTQI+ bill.
During a recent parliamentary proceeding, no member of parliament opposed the passage of the bill.
But some alleged activists are saying putting such a bill into law will violate the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.
However, the sentiment of chiefs and quite a greater section of Ghanaians is that the practice is not a part of their culture. Therefore, they are supporting the passage of the bill.
Some MPs, chiefs, and the speaker have publicly declared a stance against queer activities and have since sent a strong warning to Western countries seemingly trying to heckle the country by promoting the abored act.
They have threatened to face out Western businesses from the Ghanaian economy if their stance is not respected.
Source: Dehotpress
Thank you for reading from Dehotpress, a Ghanaian news website. You are welcome to share this story on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and you can also follow us there.
Discussion about this post