Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has urged Parliament to reconsider the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, despite its passage on Friday, May 29, 2026.
The Speaker’s appeal follows consultations with both Majority and Minority leadership aimed at building broader consensus around the controversial legislation.
Addressing the House, Bagbin urged Members of Parliament to revisit the bill to ensure that the legislative process aligns fully with parliamentary procedure and constitutional requirements.
“Honourable members, I call on Parliament to rely on the provisions and motions and the conventions of this House to go back to this historic and important Bill and reconsider it,” he stated.
According to the Speaker, the move is necessary to ensure that the legislation can survive any future legal scrutiny once it is assented to by the President.
“The legitimacy, credibility and enduring authority of any law depends not only on the objective sought to be achieved but also in the integrity of the process by which the law is enacted.
“Procedural law is as important as substantive law. What we do must be able to withstand any legal and constitutional challenge that are sure to come,” he noted.
Bagbin further disclosed that he was surprised the bill had been fully passed on Friday, explaining that he had expected Parliament to only begin the consideration stage before proceedings ended for the day.
He stressed that legislation of such national importance must be subjected to extensive consultations and broader stakeholder agreement.
The Speaker also revealed that several development partners and international institutions, including the United Nations, had submitted memoranda and recommendations on the bill prior to its passage, highlighting the intense local and international interest surrounding the legislation.
Following these concerns, Bagbin summoned leadership from both sides of the House for urgent consultations to determine the most appropriate way forward regarding the bill and the process leading to its approval.
He maintained that Parliament’s focus should not only be on passing the legislation, but also on ensuring its implementation and public acceptance.
“This is such a critical matter that we believe there must be consensus. It’s not just about passing the bill; it’s about implementing it and ensuring it benefits the people,” he stated.
Before approving the reintroduced bill, Parliament adopted several amendments, including changes to Clause Nine which exempts individuals providing legal services to persons who identify as LGBTQ+.
The amended bill also exempts journalists and media organisations reporting on LGBTQ-related issues in the normal course of their duties, as well as healthcare professionals offering medical, surgical, psychological, or counselling services to such individuals.
