Ghana’s parliament votes to abolish death penalty

The Parliament of Ghana has voted to abolish the death penalty.

In Ghana currently, there are 176 persons on death row. Out of the 176 persons, 170 are men while the rest, 6 are women.

The last execution to happen in Ghana for a murder case was done in 1993 however, the Parliament of Ghana is working to abolish the death penalty.

Ghana is not going to be the first country African country to abolish the death penalty rather, it is going to be part of the countries that have already voted to abolish the death penalty.

The abolishment of the death penalty for murder cases was an opinion suggested by the majority of Ghanaians.

In 2022, seven (7) people were sentenced to death but they were not executed. Treason has also been punishable by death in Ghana.

The Parliament of Ghana’s Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs have backed the amendment of the Criminal Offences Act in Ghana after it been pushed by Member of Parliament (MP), Francis-Xavier Sosu.

For the success and smooth change of the Criminal Offences Act, a London-Based campaign organization called Death Penalty Project (DDP) is working with Hon. Sosu in order to change the Act for good.

According to DDP in a statement, they said Ghana stands as the 29th African country to join the earlier 28 African countries that have abolished the death penalty.

They also added that Ghana is the 124th country to abolish the death penalty as a medium to punish offenders that “merit” dealt penalty.

Some of the African countries that have abolished the death penalty as a punishment for offenders recently include Zambia, Chad, Sierra Leone, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, and Central African Republic (CAR).

Speaking on the issue of the death penalty, Mr. Sosu said that “on death row, prisoners woke up thinking this could be their last day on earth. They were like the living dead: psychologically, they had ceased to be humans.”

He also added that “Abolishing the death penalty shows that we are determined as a society not to be inhumane, uncivil, closed, retrogressive and dark.”

Further, he said the change of the Criminal Offences Act will make a path for a free and progressive society that will reflect “our common belief that the sanctity of life is inviolable”.

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh