Ghana’s Parliament has struck out “dormant” death penalty from it laws after the house sat on July 25, 2023.
Parliament passed the Criminal Offences Amendment Act, 2022 which seeks to replace the death penalty with a life sentence.
In Ghana, the death penalty is imposed after a conviction for murder, attempt to commit murder, genocide, or piracy and smuggling of gold or diamond.
However, some human rights activists have argued that the death penalty is too final and irreversible, thereby demanding a replacement with a life sentence.
Passing the bill, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, said, “The Criminal Offences Amendment Act, 2022 is duly read the third time and duly passed.”
The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin says the passage of the bill calls for celebration as a country.
Although the death penalty was inherited from the colonial administration as a punishment for murder, attempted murder, genocide, piracy, and smuggling of gold or diamonds, successive presidents of Ghana have not signed a death warrant for the execution of offenders since 1993.