The case against the anti-LGBTQI+ bill has been adjourned indefinitely by the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, May 8, the apex court expressed concerns over the language used in the documents presented by the Speaker of Parliament.
As a result, they have instructed the Speaker’s lawyers to submit new documents. Before the adjournment, the court rejected the preliminary objection raised by Thaddeus Sory, the lawyer representing the Speaker of Parliament, about the case against the anti-LGBTQI bill.
During the live televised hearing, Richard Sky, a broadcast journalist who filed the case, requested to amend one of the reliefs in the motion for an injunction.
However, Thaddeus Sory, representing the Speaker of Parliament, objected to this amendment. He argued that his side had already expressed their objection to the wording of that relief in previously filed documents, and allowing the amendment would undermine their objection.
After hearing the arguments, the Justices of the Apex Court chaired by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkoornoo ruled that “our considered view is that the preliminary objection is unnecessary and does not seek to assist any process before this court.
Every party has an inherent right to present the appropriate formulation of their reliefs or other process before the court to enable the court to determine the real matters in controversy. The objection is dismissed.”
The Chief Justice further told the lawyers of the speaker that, “You have taken our time and energy for nothing.”
Richard Dela Sky, a journalist from Ghana, and Dr. Amanda Odoi, a researcher, are scheduled to present their individual lawsuits against the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in front of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
