Gertrude Torkornoo, the suspended Chief Justice, has alleged that the John Mahama administration’s procedure for dismissing her from office violated the Ghanaian Constitution.
She has listed the four main grounds she thinks will result in her contentious dismissal.
When speaking to the media, Justice Torkornoo used strong language to convey her profound dissatisfaction in what she called an unfair and politically driven procedure that was intended to undermine the judiciary and damage her reputation.
She said that in addition to being unprecedented, the current removal proceedings are extremely concerning for Ghana’s democratic progress.
She maintained that such a momentous occasion ought to have been a template for openness, lawfulness, and institutional development.
Rather, Torkornoo voiced his worry that the actions taken thus far have ignored long-standing legal precedents and the fundamental basis of the nation’s justice system.
“Unfortunately, every step of the removal process that has been undertaken against me has been done in a manner that breaks every rule on how justice is delivered in our country,” she said.
“This is why I find the need to draw the nation’s attention to the serious violation of the constitution and law in the process and the danger it holds for the development of the nation’s democracy,” she continued.
These statements were made by Justice Torkornoo on Wednesday, June 25, her first public appearance since her suspension, at a news conference in Accra.
Background
On April 22, 2025, President John Mahama suspended her after a prima facie determination based on three different petitions.
A five-member committee was formed under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution to look into the issue after the Council of State approved it.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the next most senior justice on the Supreme Court, was appointed Acting Chief Justice as a result of the decision, which was unusual since the 1992 Constitution was adopted.
Opposition parties have accused the development of interfering in the judiciary, which has caused political conflict.
The Supreme Court has since received a legal challenge from Justice Torkornoo, Ghana’s third female Chief Justice since June 2023, who is attempting to get her suspension revoked and the committee disqualified from considering her case.
Read the complete response that Justice Torkornoo sent to the committee:
Source: newsthemegh.com