Managing Partner of Law Plus, Dennis Adjei Dwomoh is calling for greater respect for individuals’ dying wishes, particularly regarding the donation of bodies to science, amid concerns that current laws allow family members to override such decisions.

Speaking on JoyNews' The Law on Sunday, Mr Dwomoh explained that under the Anatomy Act, a person has the legal right to donate their body to science. However, in practice, spouses and family members can object, preventing the donation from taking place.

“Even if a person resolves that their body should be donated to science, the family can intervene because, legally, the body does not belong solely to the individual,” Mr. Dwomoh said. “This undermines the autonomy of the person and their dying wishes.”

He argued that all dying wishes should be respected without exception, whether the person wishes to donate their body to science or be cremated.

Mr. Dwomoh cited religious considerations, noting that some individuals, such as Hindus or Hare Krishna practitioners, require cremation according to their faith. “People should have the right to decide what happens to their body after death, and their wishes should be honored even if the family disagrees,” he stressed.

The discussion raises broader questions about the balance between individual rights and familial authority in Ghana, particularly in matters of death and posthumous arrangements. The legal expert is calling for reforms to ensure that the Anatomy Act fully respects personal autonomy while clarifying the role of family consent.