Death penalty debate deferred

Parliamentary Speaker Alban Bagbin has deferred a debate on whether Ghana should abolish the death penalty. This to allow for more consultation and enable MP to debate the proposed amendment before a decision is taken on the Bill. The Ghanaian Times reports that the Private Members Bill, sponsored by MP Francis-Xavier Sosu, is seeking to amend the Criminal Offences Act to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment. The report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs recommended its passage. Sosu, moving the motion for the second reading of the Bill, said ‘political and religious consensus has been reached’ on the abolishment of the ‘colonial relic’. He noted that just seven of the 56 Commonwealth countries still have the law on their books. MP Bernard Ahiafor, presenting the report, said keeping the death penalty made mockery of justice in the country.