Members of Parliament are unable to agree over a report presented by the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee that seeks to amend some parts of the Criminal Offences Act.

The proposed amendment bill will substitute the death penalty with life imprisonment.

Ghana’s death penalty was inherited from the colonial administration as a punishment for murder, attempted murder, genocide, piracy, and smuggling of gold or diamonds, however, since 1993, no president has signed a death warrant for the execution of offenders.

During a discussion of the amendment bill, the legislators raised varying opinions on the abolishment of the death penalty.

Read also: It’s time for Ghana to enshrine its respect for right to life – by abolishing death penalty

MP for Zebilla, Cletus Avoka said that the arguments raised in favour of the motion were insubstantial.

“I first submit that the arguments they have advanced in terms of the motion are very scary and have no measures at all. Arguments in favour of the motion are unmeritorious”, he said.

But the MP for Madina and an advocate for the amendment, Francis-Xavier Sosu contended that “since the attainment of independence in 1957, Ghana has executed 49 persons either by firing squad or by hanging and most of those executions mainly happened during military regimes.”

He further emphasised that “The current position of Ghana is that we are abolitionists in practice. This is so because since 1993 to date, Ghana has not signed a death warrant to execute anyone and that is very commendable.”

The Builsa North MP, James Agalga, and Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu also pointed out a correction that “we cannot count universal declaration on human rights a part of our treaty obligations with the greatest of respect. The universal declarations on human rights are declarations, they are non-binding, and so they do not qualify for a treaty.”