Ghana Abolishes Death Penalty
Ghana’s parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the latest African nation to repeal capital punishment. While no executions have taken place in Ghana since 1993, there were 176 people on death row as of last year.
The new bill will amend the Criminal Offences Act to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment. President Nana Akufo-Addo’s assent is still required for the law to take effect. This move marks a significant advancement in Ghana’s human rights record, according to Francis-Xavier Sosu, the parliamentarian who tabled the bill.
Ghana becomes the 29th African country and the 124th globally to abolish the death penalty. Other African states that have recently ended capital punishment include Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, and Zambia.
