Legal Literacy - Ghana ends death penalty after the Ghanaian parliament approved and made a historic decision by abolishing the death penalty from its justice system. The President of Ghana, Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, officially ratified this abolition through legislation. In July 2023, members of the Ghanaian parliament had approved this change by replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment.
Strong support for this death penalty abolition measure came from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ghana. This change is expected to have a positive impact on the country's freedom, inclusiveness and stability, encouraging Ghana to become a more open and prosperous society. Ghana's current population exceeds 32 million.
President Akufo-Addo explained, "The death penalty has created an atmosphere in which prisoners feel as if their days are limited in this world. It has destroyed them psychologically, robbing them of their dignity as human beings. This statement was made prior to the ratification of the abolition death penalty.
Previously, the death penalty was applied as a mandatory punishment for murder cases in Ghana. However, there are currently 170 men and 6 women on death row. With this abolition, they will automatically receive a life sentence.
The last execution in Ghana took place in 1993. Since then, Ghana has implemented a de facto moratorium on the death penalty.
Ghana's decision to end the death penalty has been welcomed by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. They argue that the death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
Here are some of the reasons behind the abolition of the death penalty in Ghana:
- The death penalty is not effective in preventing crime. Research has shown that the death penalty does not have a significant effect on the rate of crime.
- The death penalty is unjust. The justice system is not always perfect, and there is a possibility of innocent people being sentenced to death.
- The death penalty is inhumane. The death penalty is a cruel and terrible punishment.
With the abolition of the death penalty, Ghana joins 106 other countries in the world that have abolished the death penalty.
This bill on the abolition of the death penalty was first approved by the Ghanaian parliament on July 25, 2023, and subsequently received the president's signature on August 2, 2023. Previously, this plan had received support from various political circles and also reflected the majority's views through survey results.
Francis-Xavier Sosu, Chairman of the NDC Party, explained, "The abolition of the death penalty affirms our determination to uphold the dignity of society and glorify humanity. This decision is rooted in the belief that life is sacred and inviolable."
With Ghana's move to end the death penalty, in addition to becoming one of the 106 countries that have abolished it, Ghana has also become one of the African countries that have abolished the death penalty, demonstrating a commitment to respecting human rights and continuing the journey towards a more just and civilized society.
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