Alban Bagbin says lawmakers, not the people pressuring them, will carry the blame for badly drafted laws.
Parliament has had to pull back about four bills it had already passed so they could go through a second consideration stage, Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has disclosed, calling the situation an embarrassment for the House.
He was speaking in Accra at the opening of the Annual Parliamentary Committee Leadership Development Programme, organised by the Parliamentary Training Institute (PTI), the body that trains MPs and parliamentary staff. Daily Guide Network reported his remarks.
"It doesn't speak well of Parliament," the Speaker said of the recalls.
Who carries the blame
Mr. Bagbin's central message to MPs was that outside pressure to pass laws quickly is not a defence when those laws turn out to be flawed.
"Don't allow anybody to push you to rush legislation," he told the lawmakers, adding that whoever applies the pressure will never be held responsible for a bad law, while the MP will face the judgement of constituents.
He argued that Parliament's real strength is not in how many bills it passes or how loud its debates get. In his view it shows up in the quality of scrutiny, the effectiveness of oversight, how well MPs represent people, and whether citizens trust the institution at all.
The bills being revisited
One of the pieces of legislation returning to the floor is the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, which seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities and advocacy and to reinforce traditional, cultural and religious family values. It began as a private member's bill sponsored by the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, and colleagues. The Speaker said errors were spotted after it was passed, and it will now go through a full second consideration and further refinement when Parliament sits again.
The Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) Bill, 2025 has also been recalled over inconsistencies and errors. That bill is meant to replace the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013, the law that governs how foreign investment is registered and promoted in Ghana. For Ghanaians abroad who invest at home or run businesses with partners overseas, that is the framework under review.
Mr. Bagbin said Parliament keeps the power to revisit or rescind a bill, including by a motion of rescission, even after the third reading.
Committees and the Auditor-General
Much of Parliament's substantive work happens in committees rather than in the chamber, the Speaker said, urging committee leaders to build consensus and produce laws that can survive public scrutiny. "A parliament with weak committees cannot be an effective parliament," he said.
Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu used the same platform to criticise Parliament's record on oversight, particularly over the Bank of Ghana, saying the House has a constitutional duty to set up committees to probe infractions at the central bank.
He also faulted the Auditor-General for audit reports reaching the public before they are formally laid in Parliament, arguing that reputations get damaged before those named can respond. The Auditor-General, he said, is "a tool for Parliament in the performance of their oversight responsibilities."
