Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
Renowned US-based Ghanaian lawyer and scholar, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has defended his petition for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In a post shared on Facebook on Friday, April 18, 2025, Kwaku Azar indicated that there is nothing wrong with the petition he filed for the removal of Justice Torkornoo or her supposed suspension by President John Dramani Mahama following his petition.
He pointed out that this is not the first time a public official has been suspended in a similar situation, citing the example of Lauretta Lamptey, a former Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.
“Time will tell nothing. We have always insisted on punishing wrongdoers. Did Annoh Dompreh not petition Mahama to remove Lauretta Lamptey from CHRAJ? Did Mahama not appoint a committee after Nyamah’s petition scaled the prima facie hurdle?
“Did Mahama not suspend her during the pendency of the committee’s work? And did he not remove her, acting on the advice of the committee even though Lamptey was an NDC appointee? Did some faceless people not petition for the removal of Commissioner Osei? Was she not removed by Akufo-Addo? What exactly has changed?” he quizzed.
He indicated that Chief Justice Torkornoo cannot continue to be in office because of her actions, including her supposed interference in the selection of justices of the Supreme Court.
“We should retain a CJ who is in the backroom negotiating with a president on who should be on the Supreme Court panel? Because, what?”
About the petition for Justice Torkornoo’s removal:
President Mahama had given Justice Torkornoo ten working days to respond to the three separate petitions calling for her removal from office.
In a letter dated March 27, 2025, Justice Torkornoo requested copies of the petitions and asked for at least seven days to respond, in line with due process requirements.
Prior to this, President Mahama began consultations with the Council of State following the submission of the three petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo.
According to a statement from the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the petitions were forwarded to the Council of State in accordance with the constitutional procedure outlined in Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
While the details of the petitions remain undisclosed, the development marks the beginning of a formal process that could potentially lead to significant changes within Ghana’s judicial system.
Chief Justice Torkornoo’s response
Chief Justice Torkornoo submitted her official response to the petitions seeking her removal from office as of Monday, April 7, 2025.
According to a report by 3news.com, Justice Torkornoo submitted her response to President John Dramani Mahama and the Council of State before the expiration of a 10-day deadline given by the president after the petitions were filed.
The report noted that with her response now submitted, the Council of State will begin the review process to determine whether a prima facie case exists to warrant further proceedings.
BAI/EB
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