Ghana’s Parliament has rescinded its earlier decision on the Third Reading of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, following the identification of what the Speaker described as minor inconsistencies during the post-reading review of the proposed legislation.
The decision followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, James Agalga on Tuesday November 10, 2016, asking the House to reverse its decision taken on Friday, May 29, 2026, in respect of the Third Reading of the controversial Bill.
“With your kind permission, Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this Honourable House rescinds its decision taken on Friday, 29th May, 2026, in respect of the Third Reading of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025,” Mr Agalga told the House.
The motion was seconded by Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Kwami Etse Dafeamekpor before the Speaker put the question to members for a decision.
Explaining the rationale for the move, the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin said the Legislation Drafting Department had identified inconsistencies between decisions taken by the House during the legislative process and the provisions to be incorporated into the final Bill.
According to the Speaker, the department undertakes a process known as tracking after the Third Reading to ensure that parliamentary decisions are accurately reflected in the legislation being prepared.
He explained that although the discrepancies identified were minor and could ordinarily be corrected by the drafters, the department could not independently alter decisions formally taken by Parliament.
“The draft people could put them right. But once they are decisions, they cannot temper with the decision of the House without being brought back for the House to do the proper thing,” the Speaker stated.
He said the matter had therefore been returned to Parliament to formally rescind its earlier decision on the Third Reading and allow the identified inconsistencies to be reconciled.
Following the explanation, the Speaker put the motion to a voice vote, declaring that the Ayes had it.
“The House has accordingly rescinded its earlier decision which was taken on Friday, 29th May, 2026, in respect of the Third Reading of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025,” he announced.
The parliamentary action was presented as a procedural step to address discrepancies identified during the legislative drafting and tracking process, rather than an indication that Parliament had abandoned the proposed legislation.
The rescission formally reverses the House’s earlier decision on the passage of the bill, allowing the identified inconsistencies to be reconciled through Parliament’s own procedures through a second consideration.
By: Christian Kpesese
