The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is intensifying efforts to secure the passage of the Anti-Witchcraft Bill, officially known as the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2023, under the current Mahama-led administration.
The bill, introduced as a Private Member’s Bill by Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, MP for Madina, alongside other NDC lawmakers, seeks to outlaw witch doctoring, witch finding, and the practice of accusing or labelling individuals as witches.
It aims to amend the Criminal Offences Act of 1960 (Act 29) and address the human rights violations associated with witchcraft allegations.
Although Parliament passed the bill on July 28, 2023, it faced a significant setback when former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declined to sign it into law.
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The former president raised concerns over the potential financial burden on the country’s consolidated fund, stalling its implementation.
Renewed Optimism
CHRAJ is now engaging the new government to revisit the bill and ensure its passage.
According to CHRAJ’s National Representative, Lambert Luguniah, the Mahama administration has shown a more favourable stance on the legislation.
“Our expectation is to engage the new government,” Luguniah stated in an interview.
“Preliminary discussions with key government officials indicate a positive disposition towards the bill’s passage.”
Strategic Approach
CHRAJ plans to work closely with the government to repackage the bill, shifting its presentation from a Private Member’s Bill to one introduced in the name of the president.
This move is intended to eliminate hurdles that hindered its progress in the previous administration.
“We will formally engage the government once it is fully constituted to reintroduce the bill in a way that ensures its smooth passage without the challenges we faced earlier,” Luguniah explained.
Significance of the Bill
The Anti-Witchcraft Bill is seen as a crucial tool in protecting vulnerable individuals, particularly women and children, from harmful traditional practices, stigmatization, and violence tied to witchcraft accusations.
Human rights advocates, including CHRAJ, view the legislation as a significant step toward promoting justice and safeguarding the rights of marginalized groups in Ghana.
As CHRAJ pushes for renewed action on the bill, attention now turns to the government’s next steps in addressing this pressing human rights issue.
Advocates remain hopeful that the Mahama administration will prioritize its passage to curb the injustices tied to witchcraft accusations.
