At the 2025 Marriage Governance Conference, former Attorney-General and current Council of State member Hon. Betty Mould-Iddrisu delivered a sharp rebuke to Ghana’s Parliament, condemning its failure to pass key legislation on spousal property rights more than three decades after the 1992 Constitution mandated action.
Speaking as chairperson of the conference, Mould-Iddrisu recalled that Article 22 of the Constitution required Parliament to, “as soon as practicable after the coming into force of the constitution, enact legislation regulating the property rights of spouses.” Yet, 32 years later, no such legislation has been enacted.
“How do we, as a people, look on unconcerned when ‘as soon as practicable’ turns into 32 years…and counting?” she asked, describing the delay as “an affront to the values of democracy and good governance”.
Mould-Iddrisu highlighted the Property Rights of Spouses Bill, which she introduced in Parliament in 2010 during her tenure as Attorney-General. The bill, designed to regulate the distribution of marital property at divorce or death, sought to address longstanding inequalities that leave women especially vulnerable.
It also aimed to provide legal recognition for cohabitation following nationwide consultations led by the African Women Lawyers Association.
Fifteen years later, the bill remains stalled. She described its neglect as emblematic of Parliament’s broader failure to uphold constitutional obligations and protect families.
Beyond the stalled spousal property legislation, Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu also pointed to the Intestate Succession Law, arguing that it falls short of ensuring equal rights for spouses regardless of whether they married under customary, Islamic, or ordinance law.
She urged Parliament to amend the law to reflect the principles of equality and fairness enshrined in the Constitution, warning that its current form leaves many women, and in some cases men, systematically deprived of property rights.
Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu warned that the persistent legislative vacuum has left countless spouses—particularly women in customary and Islamic marriages—financially exposed, vulnerable to exploitation, and without adequate legal protection in cases of divorce or death.
She insisted that Parliament’s refusal to act undermines both justice and Ghana’s constitutional promise of equality.
The chairperson’s message was unambiguous: Ghana cannot afford further delay.
“This has to be rectified now,” she declared, urging Parliament to take immediate steps to pass the Property Rights of Spouses Bill and amend the Intestate Succession Law to secure equal property rights for all.
