Richard Sky’s anti-gay bill application goes to hearing

The Supreme Court has fixed Wednesday, 3 July 2024, as the date to hear an application filed by media personality and lawyer in private practice, Richard Dela Sky against the Parliament of Ghana and the Attorney General regarding the recent passage of the controversial anti-gay bill.

Sky is challenging the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, and he is seeking a declaration that the bill as has been passed by Parliament breaches several provisions of the 1992 constitution and violates the country’s laws and the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the constitution.

The notice of hearing was issued by the registrar of the Supreme Court, Her Honour, Ellen Ofei-Ayeh, and is dated 14 June 2024. The notice is addressed to Richard Sky, Cudjoe Arthur Chambers (lawyer for the applicant), The Speaker of Parliament, Thaddeus Sory (lawyer for the Speaker), and to the Attorney General.

“Take notice that the above-mentioned case has been fixed for Wednesday the 3rd day of July 2024 at 9:30 am for hearing. If the case is called and you do not appear to answer, the Court will proceed to hear same without you,” the hearing notice read.

The Richard Dela Sky versus the Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney General is one of four cases that have thus far been filed at the Supreme Court and the High Court challenging the passage of the anti-gay bill.

The Judicial Service on  Tuesday, 28 May 2024, granted permission to the media to cover live all court proceedings concerning the controversial “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024,” also known as the “Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.”

A communiqué issued by the Judicial Service confirmed that the media (including radio and television) will have “full access to the relevant courts to undertake a coverage of all proceedings in those cases concerning the Bill.”

The move comes in response to the widespread public interest surrounding the legislation. Four separate lawsuits have been filed with Amanda Odoi and Richard Dela Sky, challenging the bill’s passage directly at the Supreme Court, while Paul Boama-Sefa and Prince Obiri-Korang have filed separate cases in the High Court.