30/05/2026
Statement on the Passage of Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill
The Justice Bridge Foundation is deeply concerned by the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill by the Parliament of Ghana.
This legislation represents a significant setback for human rights, constitutionalism, public health, and access to justice. Beyond its direct impact on LGBT persons, the Bill threatens to restrict civic space and create risks for lawyers, human rights defenders, health professionals, community organisations, and others working to support vulnerable populations.
Experience across Africa has shown that criminalisation does not solve social challenges. Instead, it drives communities underground, increases vulnerability to violence and discrimination, weakens access to essential services, and undermines trust in public institutions. Laws of this nature ultimately make it harder, not easier, to protect human dignity and social cohesion.
As a movement lawyering organisation, Justice Bridge Foundation stands in solidarity with Ghanaian lawyers, civil society organisations, and human rights defenders working to uphold constitutional rights and the rule of law. Through our Bridge to Justice initiative, we remain committed to supporting legal preparedness, strengthening access to justice, and advancing coordinated responses to anti-rights legislation across West and Central Africa.
The passage of this Bill is not the end of the story. In any constitutional democracy, legislation must remain subject to scrutiny, accountability, and the protections guaranteed by national, regional, and international human rights frameworks. We therefore call on all stakeholders to continue working towards a Ghana that protects the dignity, rights, and freedoms of all people.
Justice Bridge Foundation
