July 27th 2023.
Ghana, a West African nation, has taken a monumental step in abolishing the death penalty, except for high treason. This monumental decision was taken by the country’s parliament on July 25 and is expected to be signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
According to Enoch Jengre, program officer of Ghana’s Legal Resource Center, this step is in keeping with the constitutional and fundamental human right of everyone. He added that “no human being or institution should have the right to take the life of another.”
Capital punishment had long been practiced in certain African nations, but is gradually becoming less common. Ghana’s last state execution was held in 1993, and more than 25 African countries have banned the practice altogether.
The new change will see 176 death row inmates, including six women, serve life in prison instead. However, not everyone has welcomed the move. Social worker Raymond Kuudaah believes that this will encourage more people to engage in crime, knowing that they will only end up in prison.
Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, the lawyer and politician behind the bill, has said that the decision was made with the families of former victims in mind. According to The Guardian, he said that “the death penalty does not bring a sense of justice or closure to the families of crime victims, and neither does it deter offenders.” He added, “I introduced these bills because I wanted the courts to cease imposing an inhuman punishment.”
The death penalty has been on the rise in recent years. Close to 900 executions were recorded in 2022, a 53% increase since 2021. However, it is encouraging to see that some nations are taking a stand against this form of punishment. In the past five years, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Zambia have abolished the death penalty.
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