ELS: MBN360 NEWS
Ghana has moved closer to abolishing capital punishment after a Government Committee’s recommended report on removing the death penalty from the country’s statutes was formally accepted.
The announcement was made by Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine who said the acceptance of the report signals the government’s commitment to human rights reforms and alignment with international best practices. “The death penalty is inconsistent with the constitutional right to life and with Ghana’s international human rights obligations under the UN conventions to which we are parties,” Dr. Ayine stated.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series today, Thursday, July 30, 2026, Dr. Ayine confirmed that the Cabinet has received and accepted the recommendations of the committee tasked with reviewing Ghana’s death penalty laws.
“The committee has accepted the recommended report on abolishing the death penalty,” Dr. Ayine stated. “This is a significant step in our journey to reform our criminal justice system to reflect the values of a constitutional democracy that respects the right to life.”
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He said the report outlines a legislative roadmap to repeal provisions of the death penalty from the 1992 Constitution and other relevant laws, and to replace capital punishment with life imprisonment as the maximum sentence for the most serious crimes.
No one has been executed in the country for more than 30 years, though the death penalty remains on the books for offences including murder and treason. Under the recommendations accepted by the government, persons currently on death row would have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
The Attorney General explained that the next step will be the drafting of an amendment bill to be laid before Parliament.
“We will proceed to prepare the necessary constitutional and legislative amendments,” Dr. Ayine said. “The goal is to ensure that once Parliament passes the bill, Ghana will join the growing number of African countries that have abolished capital punishment in law, not just in practice.”
He added that abolition does not mean impunity. “The state will continue to punish the most serious crimes severely. Life imprisonment without parole will remain available for aggravated murder and other grave offences.”
