The suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo
The Suspended Chief Justice of Ghana, Gertrude Torkornoo has asserted in her press briefing on Wednesday, June 25, that every step taken by the John Dramani Mahama government to remove her from office has violated the 1992 Constitution.
“Unfortunately, every step of the removal process undertaken against me has been done in a manner that breaks every rule on how justice is delivered in our country.
“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,” Justice Torkornoo stated at the press conference in Accra.
Justice Torkornoo, who became Ghana’s third female Chief Justice in June 2023, was suspended on April 22, 2025, by President John Mahama.
This action followed three petitions that led to a prima facie determination, with the Council of State’s consent and the establishment of a five-member inquiry committee under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
This move marks an unprecedented event since the 1992 Constitution’s inception, placing the next most senior Supreme Court justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, in an acting capacity.
The decision has sparked considerable controversies, with the opposition decrying it as a politicisation of the judiciary.
Justice Torkornoo’s condemnation underscores significant tensions regarding judicial independence and due process in Ghana’s governance.
MRA/AE
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