Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, stated on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, that Parliament did not suspend a specific standing order before passing the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQI+ bill. However, official records from Friday, May 29, 2026, indicate the contrary, suggesting the House did indeed suspend Order 172 (1) to allow for the bill’s immediate third reading and passage on the same day it concluded its consideration stage.
Procedural Discrepancy Uncovered
The Speaker’s assertion, made during a formal communication to the House regarding the bill’s passage, directly challenged the procedural steps taken. He quoted Order 172 (1), which mandates a one-sitting-day lapse between the consideration stage and the third reading of a bill. Speaker Bagbin emphasized that while Parliament has the authority to suspend standing orders with the leave of the House, this was not done in the case of the anti-LGBTQI+ bill.
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