Ghana's Parliament passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022 on Tuesday, July 25. The purpose of this Private Members' Bill is to amend the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and replace the Death Penalty with life imprisonment for specific crimes, such as murder, attempted murder, genocide, piracy, and smuggling of gold and diamond.
Once the President gives assent to the Bill, Ghana will become part of a group of nations that have chosen life imprisonment over the Death Penalty. The primary goal of this legislative change is to reform the criminal justice system to align it with the evolving needs of society and adhere to international best practices in criminal jurisprudence.
The sponsor of the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022 is Mr. Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina.
During the debate on the Bill, some Members of Parliament, such as Mr. Cletus Apul Avoka and Mr. Habib Iddrisu, opposed the abolition of the Death Penalty, arguing that it might lead to an increase in heinous crimes and mob justice.
On the other hand, Mr. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader and NPP MP for Efutu, expressed satisfaction with the passage of the Bill, considering it a significant achievement for Ghana and a reflection of the country's commitment to international human rights principles.
In summary, Ghana's Parliament approved the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, aiming to eliminate the Death Penalty from the country's legal system and replace it with life imprisonment for specified offenses. The passing of this bill represents a major step towards upholding international human rights standards in the nation's criminal justice system.
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