New anti-LGBTQ+ bill not weaker than the first version, says Barker-Vormawor
via GhanaWeb1 min read
Private legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor has challenged claims that the reintroduced Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill is a weaker version of the legislation previously passed by Parliament. In a Facebook post on June 1, 2026, Barker-Vormawor disputed assertions by Assin South MP John Ntim Fordjour that the latest bill contains 31 amendments and has been watered down. A comparative analysis by Barker-Vormawor's law firm, Merton and Everett LLP, identified at least 27 clear textual and structural changes, with a broader assessment indicating as many as 64 modifications. He stated that the narrative of the bill being reintroduced without significant alteration is inaccurate, as the changes materially affect the structure, definitions, and enforcement framework. The reintroduced bill reduces the original 20 sections to 19 clauses, includes an expanded explanatory memorandum, and removes certain offenses, such as provisions related to the alleged "subversion of family values." Barker-Vormawor also noted that several criminal provisions have been restructured, and new definitions including "queer," "intersex," "non-binary," and "pansexual" have been introduced. He maintained that the legislation has undergone substantial drafting and structural revisions, even though some penalties remain unchanged.
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