Resolve issues and assent Anti-Witchcraft Bill – CHRAJ to Akufo-Addo

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo to promptly address his concerns with the Anti-Witchcraft Bill and give it his assent.

The Anti-Witchcraft Bill, officially known as the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2023, is a notable law passed by Ghana’s Parliament. The legislation seeks to modify the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Acts 29) to outlaw the practice of witch doctoring or witch finding. It also forbids the act of declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling another individual as a witch.

This Private Member’s Bill was put forward by Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, and other NDC MPs. The bill, which was ratified by Parliament on July 28, 2023, is viewed as a vital measure in tackling the perils associated with witch accusations.

It aims to safeguard victims and criminalise the act of declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling individuals as witches.

President Akufo-Addo has expressed concerns about potential financial impacts on the country’s consolidated fund, leading to his decision not to sign the bill.

However, in an advisory opinion on the bill to the President on July 1, 2024, CHRAJ observed that the culture of witchcraft accusations and its associated witch camps have tarnished the country’s reputation.

“It has become an albatross around the neck of the country for decades. Its dire consequences on the rights of Ghanaian women are beyond debate. It also undermines national efforts towards the realization of the SDGs particularly Goal 5 on gender equality,” it added.

CHRAJ emphasised that in a period of constitutional democracy centred on the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, the rights of one of society’s most vulnerable groups, elderly women accused of witchcraft, must be prioritised by the state and urgent measures must be taken to protect their human rights and dignity.

The commission thus urged President Akufo-Addo to “take urgent steps including legislative steps that will resolve any constitutional concerns raised by H.E the President in order to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023 (Anti-Witchcraft Bill) to further enhance the protection of this vulnerable group and the consolidation of Ghana’s human rights record.”