Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has announced that Parliament will soon revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which has drawn widespread criticism for permitting mining activities in environmentally sensitive areas.

Speaking during President John Mahama’s engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the fight against illegal mining, Dr Ayine disclosed that L.I. 2501 will be laid before Parliament on October 14, 2025, to formally revoke L.I. 2462.

He stressed that comprehensive legal reforms are central to government’s strategy to curb illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

“In terms of the legal steps, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has underscored the fact that legal and regulatory reform is at the heart of what we are doing in order to change the narrative about illegal mining,” Dr Ayine said.

The attorney general identified major flaws in the existing legal framework, noting that the current Minerals and Mining Act allows licenses and leases across Ghana’s entire territory, including forest reserves that should be protected.

To address these gaps, he revealed that his office is working with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to strengthen environmental protections.

“One of the things we can do is to identify all the forest reserves and put them in a schedule attached to the bill, and make it categorically clear that no licence for mining activity, or lease for the conduct of mining, can be granted in respect of all the forest reserves listed in the statute,” he explained.

Dr Ayine confirmed that all preparatory work has been completed ahead of the revocation.

“The minister and I have agreed that on the 14th of October, when Parliament resumes, we will lay that instrument to revoke the famous L.I. 2462. Immediately it is laid, within 21 days it matures, and from that time onwards, we will not have L.I. 2462,” he said.

If this timeline is followed, the controversial regulation could be scrapped by early November, a move expected to mark a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to protect its forests and water bodies from illegal mining.