On Tuesday, October 8, thousands of protestors flocked to the streets to voice their disapproval of the protracted delay in the anti-gay bill’s adoption.
Proponents of the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-gay bill, organized the demonstration. A wide range of people attended, including activists, local authorities, and concerned individuals, all of whom urged lawmakers to act quickly.
The purpose of the demonstration is to demand that the president sign the measure right away, as it hasn’t been done since Parliament approved it on February 28.
A July 17 Supreme Court decision that delayed rulings on anti-gay lawsuits until all relevant legal issues were resolved has made the delays even worse.
Samuel Nartey George, the bill’s principal proponent and Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, emphasized on Monday in an interview with Eyewitness News on Citi FM that the Chief Justice is empowered to expedite the resolution of the issue if she so chooses.
“The Chief Justice has the power to demand of all the parties in the case, that they file within the times stipulated in the Rules of Procedure, that you file a statement of claim within 14 days. All of this is clear and the Chief Justice is the one who has powers to ensure that.
“If everybody is going to take one year to file their documents, the Chief Justice thinks that that is a proper delivery of justice, where parties in the case will determine as and when and how they would be doing their filing.
