The Supreme Court has today adjourned Richard Sky’s application seeking a declaration that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, referred to as anti-gay bill, is null, void, and of no effect to May 17, 2024.
This according to the court presided over by Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, the adjournment is to enable counsel for the plaintiff to “file a fresh motion paper with supporting affidavit and statement of case.”
Thaddeus Sory, counsel for first defendant suggested to the court that the applicant be given time to amend paragraphs five and seven of his applications to sync with his reliefs.
The paragraph five of the applicant’s writ is seeking “an order restraining the Speaker of Parliament and the Clerk to Parliament from presenting The Human and Sexual Values Bill, 2024 to the President of the Republic for his assent.”
Also, paragraph seven of the application is seeking “an injunction barring any attempts to enforce the provisions of The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bil 2024, particularly those criminalizing same-sex relationships and related advocacy efforts.”
Consequently, the Chief Justice in her ruling, upheld the suggestion of the counsel for the first defendant and adjourned the amendment to May 17.
She asserted in her ruling that “By listening to all the counsels, the court agrees with the suggestion of counsel for the first defendant and orders the plaintiff applicant to file a fresh motion paper with supporting affidavit and statement of case. Plaintiff is also given leave to address any matters of fact and issues of law in the new process.”
“Plaintiff applicant is given up to May 17, so now you have moved from May 9 to file the new process on May 17, 2024. Counsel for defendants are given seven days after service on them to file any processes that they may wish to,”she concluded.
