Legal practitioner Anokye Frimpong has argued that Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo ought to have resigned once a prima facie case was established in the petition seeking her removal.
He noted that under the 1992 Constitution, the dismissal of a petition against a Chief Justice signals presidential support.
However, once the President and the Council of State uphold the petition as having merit, “the outcome is clear” and the Chief Justice is unlikely to survive the process.
Frimpong criticised the constitutional framework, describing it as heavily tilted in favour of the President.
He observed that the panel constituted to handle such matters gives the President three appointees, compared to only two judges, making it difficult for the Chief Justice to get a fair outcome.
He likened the situation to “handing a knife to an enemy to stab you,” stressing that once the President triggers the process, the decision is largely predetermined.
The lawyer clarified that his comments were not directed at any particular head of state, but at structural flaws in the 1992 Constitution.
He insisted that Ghana was “practicing a constitution without constitutionalism,” arguing that true constitutionalism reflects international best practices that safeguard institutional independence.
By: Jacob Aggrey
