The parliament of Ghana has taken a significant step forward in addressing issues related to witchcraft accusations by passing the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, through Parliament on the previous Thursday. With this new legislation in effect, it is now officially considered an offense to accuse anyone of being a witch.
The Bill explicitly targets and criminalizes the act of accusing someone of practicing witchcraft, making it illegal to declare, accuse, name, or label another individual as a witch, along with all related matters connected to such accusations.
The primary objective of this bill is to amend the existing Criminal Offences Act of 1960 (Act 29), with the specific intention of prohibiting any person from acting as a witch doctor or witch finder, thus curbing the practice of making accusations based on beliefs in witchcraft.
This crucial piece of legislation is part of a broader set of policy measures aimed at effectively addressing and preventing attacks and human rights violations that often arise due to unfounded witchcraft accusations. By criminalizing the act of accusing others of witchcraft, the country seeks to promote social harmony, protect individual rights, and foster a more just and compassionate society.
During the deliberations leading up to the third reading of the bill, all participating members of Parliament were in complete agreement, voicing their support for the criminalization of all witchcraft activities and the accusation of witchcraft in addition to advocating for the complete abolition of all existing witchcraft camps within the country.
The lawmakers firmly believed that such measures would act as a deterrent against baseless accusations of witchcraft and the subsequent human rights abuses that often accompany such allegations. By criminalizing witchcraft activities and accusations, individuals would be discouraged from making false claims and perpetrating harm on innocent people due to superstitious beliefs.
Moreover, the proposed legal framework would empower law enforcement agencies to take appropriate action against offenders who engage in human rights violations stemming from witchcraft accusations. This legal clarity and accountability would enhance the protection of individuals who may be targeted unjustly.
The collective stance taken by the members of Parliament showcased their shared commitment to addressing the serious issues arising from witchcraft accusations in the country. By striving for the abolition of witchcraft camps and enacting laws against such practices, they aimed to create a safer and more just society, free from the harmful consequences of unfounded witchcraft allegations.
The declaration, it said, further proclaimed that all human beings were endowed with reason and conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
“These very important tenets of human rights are reinforced by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, which also provides for the prohibition of all forms of practices that are dehumanising or are injurious to the physical and mental well-being of a person (Article 26(2) of the 1992 Constitution),” it said.
It indicated that Article 15(2) of the Constitution also provided for the respect for human dignity and projects that, “no person shall, whether or not he is arrested, restricted or detained, be subjected to; (a) torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (b) any other condition that detracts or is likely to detract from his dignity and worth as a human being.”
“Accusation of witchcraft is undoubtedly, a setback to the efforts to achieve the tenets of international human rights treaties which Ghana has ratified, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights; Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and Convention on the Elimination of All Discrimination against Women,” it said.
It added that the negative effect of witchcraft accusations on Ghana’s human right efforts was evident in the 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
“In the said report, accusations of witchcraft and its attendant human rights violations such as physical assault, stigmatisation and banishment from families and communities were recorded as part of Ghana’s human right shortfalls,” it said.