Constitutional review: Government accepts proposal to abolish death penalty – Dominic Ayine

Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted the recommendation to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment as part of the constitutional review process.

He said the proposed amendment would affect Articles 3, 13, 19 and 72 of the 1992 Constitution, with offences that previously attracted the death penalty instead carrying life imprisonment.

Dr. Ayine made the announcement on July 30, 2026, at the Jubilee House in Accra during the Government Accountability Series while outlining the government’s position on the final recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.

According to him, the government believes the death penalty is inconsistent with the constitutional right to life and Ghana’s international human rights obligations.

He explained that the recommendation forms part of broader proposals aimed at strengthening the protection of fundamental human rights under the Constitution.

Dr. Ayine said the government had also accepted the spirit of several recommendations to expand rights relating to women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the youth.

He added that a comprehensive Human Rights Act would be introduced to protect these rights and provide detailed enforcement mechanisms instead of amending the entrenched provisions of the Constitution through a national referendum.

By: Jacob Aggrey