While many, particularly human rights advocates, are pleased with the repeal of Ghana’s Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill 2022 by Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Jirapa, Cletus Seidu Dapilah, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision.
According to him, he is unhappy about the passing of the Bill because, during its existence, it served as a deterrent to potential offenders.
He further noted that although no president under Ghana’s Fourth Republic had ever authorized the execution of any individual on death row, having the law in place compelled these Heads of State to fulfill their duties.
A report by 3news.com highlighted his concerns, where he also mentioned that having the law in the statutes did not impose any financial burden on the nation.
“I can tell you that the law being on our books does not cost anything. I can tell you it deters people and now we have lost that deterrence and we shouldn’t be surprised we see people killing others anyhow knowing that they will be in prison for life and the government will feed me,” he explained.
On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Ghana’s parliament made a significant move by officially repealing the death penalty from the country’s statute books. This milestone was achieved through the approval of an amendment to the Criminal and Other Offences Act. The driving force behind this progressive change was the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, who sponsored the Bill. While parliament has given its approval, the final step in enacting this change into law requires the signature of the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which is yet to be obtained.