Convener of the Fix The Country Movement and a member of GBA, Oliver Barker-Vormawor
Convener of the Fix The Country Movement and a member of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Oliver Barker-Vormawor has called on fellow GBA members to convene a special general assembly to reverse the Association’s recent resolution challenging President John Dramani Mahama’s suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints on May 3, 2025, Barker-Vormawor labeled the resolution as politically driven and a threat to judicial independence.
He criticized the resolution as lacking legal merit, describing it as “an appeal cloaked in impropriety” that fails to meet the standards of a legitimate challenge.
Barker-Vormawor argued that the GBA’s stance disregards established Supreme Court precedent and risks being misinterpreted internationally and domestically as an attack on the judiciary’s autonomy. “History will not forgive us if we let this slide,” he warned, urging members to act swiftly to overturn what he called a reckless move.
Barker-Vormawor emphasized that constitutional interpretation must remain rooted in legal doctrine, not political sentiment, accusing the GBA of injecting politics into a matter of law.
He insisted that the resolution’s wording dangerously implies misconduct by the President, despite clear legal precedent supporting the suspension process.
Echoing similar sentiments, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, CEO of the National Petroleum Authority, accused the GBA of “manifest hypocrisy” in its commentary on judicial matters.
Edudzi Tameklo highlighted inconsistencies in the GBA’s stance, noting that the Association had criticized President Mahama’s judicial appointments in 2023 under then-Chief Justice Nene Amegatcher but remained silent on similar actions under other administrations.
He referenced the 2023 appointment of Justices Yaw Appau and Gabriel Pwamang to the Supreme Court, where Mahama selected the second- and fourth-ranked candidates recommended by the Judicial Council, prompting strong GBA objections and a Supreme Court challenge.
“How come the bar is only vocal when President Mahama is the one acting?” Tameklo questioned, calling for fairness in the GBA’s approach. He argued that the Association’s current resolution contradicts its earlier position and undermines democratic principles.
Barker-Vormawor’s call for a special assembly aims to realign the GBA’s actions with legal integrity, urging members to reject the resolution and uphold the judiciary’s independence.
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