Ho West MP Emmanuel Bedzrah Says New Version of Proper Human Sexual Rights Bill Will Be Laid in Parliament Soon
Ho West MP and sponsor of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Emmanuel Bedzrah, has announced that the reintroduced bill will be laid before Parliament as soon as it appears on the order paper.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday, Mr. Bedzrah explained that the previous version of the bill, passed under the Eighth Parliament, no longer holds legal standing, and the legislative process must begin afresh.
“The 8th Parliament bill that was passed by Parliament is now moot. We don’t have a bill. All we have now is a new bill that has been introduced to the House. We are yet to lay it. We’re waiting for the Speaker to give a directive, as he did on Tuesday. The bill will be laid as soon as it’s advertised on our order paper,” he said.
He recalled that the earlier bill was unanimously supported by MPs before stalling at the presidency. “As we all know, that bill was passed last Parliament. Eight of us sponsored it, and we did everything possible to ensure it passed. You remember, 275 of us supported it,” he added.
Mr. Bedzrah explained that the bill, after being passed, was transmitted to the President for assent but never reached him due to a legal challenge. “It got to a point where it had to be assented to by the President, but it was blocked along the line. Someone had to go to the Supreme Court for interpretation on whether the President should receive it in the first place,” he said.
He noted that the change in administration meant the bill effectively lapsed and had to be reintroduced. “The then government could not assent to it, so it does not form a law. Even though it was passed, it’s like you are in the middle — neither here nor there,” he said.
Using a vivid metaphor, Mr. Bedzrah described the reintroduction as a second chance to “do the right thing.” “God has decided that, okay, come back to the earth to do the right thing. So it’s back to us now, and fortunately, we came together to start a new life for the bill,” he said.
Expressing confidence in the bill’s future, he concluded, “I can tell you that from what people are saying, the bill will be passed again, and this time around, the President will assent to it.”