On February 28, 2024, Ghana's Parliament passed the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-LGBT+ bill.

The legislation criminalizes and prohibits activities related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals, including their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Although approved by Parliament, the bill is not yet law, pending President Akufo-Addo's assent. According to Article 106 of Ghana's 1992 Constitution, the president must assent within seven days of Parliament's passage for the bill to become law.

The bill outlines a jail term of six months to three years for individuals engaged in prohibited acts, with sponsors and promoters facing three to five years.

In case President Akufo-Addo refuses assent, the Parliament has the authority to pass the bill into law by a two-thirds majority vote, as stipulated in Section 10 of Article 106.

Here is what the law says:

(1) The power of Parliament to make laws shall be exercised by bills passed by Parliament and assented to by the president.

(2) No bill, other than such a bill as is referred to in paragraph (a) of Article 108 of this Constitution, shall be introduced in Parliament unless -

(a) It is accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out in detail the policy and principles of the bill, the defects of the existing law, the remedies proposed to deal with those defects and the necessity for its introduction; and

(b) it has been published in the Gazette at least fourteen days before the date of its introduction in Parliament.

(3) A bill affecting the institution of chieftaincy shall not be introduced in Parliament without prior reference to the National House of Chiefs.

(4) Whenever a bill is read for the first time in Parliament, it shall be referred to the appropriate committee appointed under Article 103 of this Constitution, which shall examine the bill in detail and make all such inquiries in relation to it as the committee considers expedient or necessary.

(5) Where a bill has been deliberated upon by the appropriate committee, it shall be reported to Parliament.

(6) The report of the committee, together with the explanatory memorandum to the bill, shall form the basis for a full debate on the bill for its passage, with or without amendments or its rejection, by Parliament.

(7) Where a bill passed by Parliament is presented to the president for assent, he shall signify, within seven days after the presentation, to the Speaker that he assents to the bill or that he refuses to assent to the bill, unless the bill has been referred by the president to the Council of State under Article 90 of this Constitution.

This provision enables Parliament to reconsider the bill and, if supported by at least two-thirds of its members, compel the president to assent within thirty days.

Former President John Dramani Mahama suggested that Akufo-Addo might withhold assent due to potential costs to the government, raising uncertainties about the bill's final status.