Ayikoi Otoo is a lead counsel for the former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
Ayikoi Otoo, lead counsel for the former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, has dismissed claims that his client is desperate to remain in office, stressing that her legal challenge to her removal is about protecting the Constitution and safeguarding judicial independence.
In a statement released on September 24, 2025, Otoo said Justice Torkornoo’s decades of service to the judiciary had always been rooted in a commitment to justice.
He maintained that her ongoing court battle seeks to prevent dangerous precedents that could weaken constitutional democracy.
“The Chief Justice is not in the least desperate to stay in office. She is fighting for what is right for the country, for the rule of law, and for her rights as a citizen in a constitutional democracy,” he stated.
Ayikoi Otoo calls out Mahama over Torkonoo’s removal as Chief Justice
Justice Torkornoo was removed from office on September 1, 2025, by President John Mahama on grounds of stated misbehaviour, following recommendations from a constitutional committee established under Article 146 of the Constitution (1992).
She has since filed a legal challenge contesting both her dismissal as Chief Justice and as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
At the core of her case is the argument that the President improperly relied on one process to remove her from two distinct offices, in violation of the Constitution.
Her legal team also alleges procedural flaws, suppression of evidence, and breaches of safeguards designed to protect judicial independence.
Otoo cautioned that allowing the executive to dismiss the head of the judiciary without due process would erode public trust and risk reducing the courts to a political tool.
He disclosed that the legal team has filed multiple suits before the Supreme Court of Ghana and the ECOWAS Court of Justice to contest aspects of the removal.
Torkornoo’s new application doesn’t require Supreme Court interpretation – Brako-Powers
“This fight is bigger than one individual. It is about protecting the sanctity of the Constitution and preventing the subordination of the judiciary to political convenience,” Otoo stressed, urging Ghanaians, civil society, and the legal fraternity to support efforts to safeguard judicial independence.
MRA/VPO
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