Akufo-Addo rejects a bill he already approved -Speaker

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has disclosed that one of the three private members bills rejected by President Akufo-Addo had already been approved by him. In a memorandum to Parliament, President Akufo-Addo cited the breach of article 108 of the constitution as the reason for refusing to give assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill, Criminal Offences Amendment Bill (2), and Armed Forces Amendment Bill.

The speaker, however, expressed his disagreement with the President’s decision, stating that he had been misinformed. Addressing the issue in more detail, Alban Bagbin revealed that the President had actually given his approval to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill regarding the abolition of the death penalty back in August. He wondered why the President included this Act among the bills he rejected.

Bagbin also argued that the President did not have the authority to interpret the Constitution and should have instead sought the court’s interpretation. He emphasized that the bill had already become an Act, published as the Criminal Offences Amendment Act, 2023, Act 1101, and made available to the public.

The Speaker’s disagreement with the President’s position is based on four critical aspects of procedural adherence in Constitutional interpretation.