A heated public dispute between former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame and private legal practitioner Thaddeus Sory has captivated Ghana, unfolding across social media and traditional media platforms.
The feud, rooted in the contentious process to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, has escalated into a war of words marked by accusations of unethical conduct, political bias, and personal jabs.
The term “incongruous,” first used by Dame to describe the Supreme Court’s dismissal of an earlier petition he led on the matter, has become a recurring motif in the banter, with both lawyers wielding it to question each other’s credibility.
This clash, seen by some as a battle of legal brilliance and by the parties as an attempt to address obsessive vendetta, has become the center of public discussion.
The removal process of Justice Torkornoo
The dispute stems from the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo in April 2025, following three petitions filed with President John Mahama alleging misconduct and incompetence.
The petitions, including one by Daniel Ofori, prompted the President to consult the Council of State and initiate an investigation under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
Thaddeus Sory represents Ofori, while Godfred Dame, now in private practice after serving as Attorney General under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, represents Torkornoo.
The term “incongruous” first emerged in this context when Dame, in March 2025, described the decision by the Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to sit on a case he led against the suspension of the Chief Justice as such.
He argued that the court’s reasoning in dismissing his objection to Justice Baffoe-Bonnie presiding was inconsistent with constitutional principles, a remark that drew little attention at the time but set the stage for its later weaponization in the spat with Sory.
The spark
The current spat became public on May 20, when Sory posted on Facebook, indirectly responding to allegations by a known New Patriotic Party (NPP) activist, Adenta Kumi, who claimed Sory was involved in a clandestine meeting with judges.
Sory dismissed the claim as a “monstrous lie,” stating, “We know those who get justice through negotiation,” a veiled jab that critics believe was directed at Dame.
CCTV footage later surfaced, showing Sory briefly greeting some judges at a restaurant, fueling online debate about whether it was a coincidental encounter or a planned meeting.
Dame officially leads Torkornoo’s charge, accuses NDC of politicising removal process
On May 21, Dame, representing Chief Justice Torkornoo, filed a suit at the Supreme Court seeking an injunction to halt the removal proceedings and challenging the impartiality of two committee members, Justices Gabriel Scott Pwamang and Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Dame accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of politicising the process, pointing to the petitioners’ legal team—Sory, Tsatsu Tsikata, and Oliver Barker-Vormawor—as evidence of NDC bias.
He defended his role, reiterating that his earlier use of “incongruous” to describe judicial decisions reflected his commitment to constitutional principles, not personal agendas.
Sory responded on May 23 with a scathing Facebook post titled “The Incongruous Cry Baby Again,” seizing on Dame’s earlier use of the term to mock him. He labelled Dame an “incongruous cry baby” and accused him of hypocrisy for alleging NDC bias while ignoring his own NPP ties, including his appointment as Deputy Attorney General by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Sory questioned how Dame’s “legal acumen suddenly improved” upon becoming Attorney General, implying his success was tied to his office.
He also accused Dame of unethical conduct, including communicating directly with an accused person behind their counsel’s back during the 2024 ambulance trial involving Richard Jakpa.
Sory warned, “Stop the tantrums… The next knock may not be a gentle tap. It will land like a sledgehammer.”
Dame’s Counterattack
On May 24, Dame fired back with a detailed Facebook post, accusing Sory of an “obsessive” fixation on him. He described Sory’s attacks as “bewildering” and a violation of professional conduct rules due to their abusive tone.
Dame defended his use of “incongruous” in the earlier petition case, asserting it was a precise critique of judicial reasoning, not a personal attack. He refuted Sory’s claim about his legal success, citing victories against Sory in court cases between 2007 and 2009 at the High Court and in 2013 at the Court of Appeal, when Sory was with Dery & Co.
“Oh Thaddeus! Doth ye have such short memory?” Dame wrote, dismissing Sory’s accusations as driven by jealousy.
He also highlighted Sory’s ties to NDC figures, including President Mahama’s 2020 election petition lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata and the current Speaker of Parliament, and defended his representation of Torkornoo as a professional duty.
Dame concluded with a quip: “As they say, ‘when Godfred Dame coughs, the whole NDC catches a cold.’”
Sory’s Rebuttal
On May 25, Sory responded with another Facebook post titled “And Still Crying Again, Even More Incongruously – Part One.” He turned Dame’s use of “incongruous” against him, stating, “Like the word ‘incongruous,’ Cry Baby must have a severely warped understanding of the word ‘obsessed.’”
Sory dismissed Dame’s obsession claim, retorting, “How can I be obsessed with a lawyer I taught elementary civil procedure in open court just last October?”
He accused Dame of hypocrisy for acknowledging his representation of both NDC and NPP figures while alleging NDC bias in the Torkornoo case. Sory reiterated allegations of Dame’s unethical conduct, particularly in the Jakpa case, and claimed, “No Attorney-General has done more to erode public trust in the judiciary than you.” Promising further critiques, Sory warned that future responses would be even more forceful.
Accusations and claims
Amidst the ongoing spat, the parties have issued key allegations and accusations:
Political Bias: Dame alleges the NDC is politicising Torkornoo’s removal, citing the petitioners’ legal team as evidence of NDC affiliations. Sory counters that Dame’s NPP ties, including his role in Torkornoo’s appointment, make his accusations hypocritical, noting that Dame’s use of “incongruous” to critique judicial decisions reflects his own political posturing.
Professional Conduct: Sory accuses Dame of breaching Rule 38 of Ghana’s professional conduct guidelines by airing legal disputes in the media and engaging in unethical practices, such as communicating with an accused person without their lawyer’s knowledge in the 2024 ambulance trial. Dame denies these claims and accuses Sory of violating professional etiquette with his abusive language, particularly his repeated use of “incongruous cry baby.”
Legal Competences Called Into Question: Sory questions Dame’s legal success, suggesting it was tied to his Attorney General role. Dame refutes this, citing his courtroom victories over Sory in 2009 and 2013 and his successful defense of Ghana in international arbitration cases, including a US$2.2 million award in November 2024.
Personal Tackling: Both lawyers have traded insults, with Sory’s “incongruous cry baby” taunt echoing Dame’s earlier use of “incongruous,” and Dame labelling Sory’s behaviour as obsessive. These remarks have drawn criticism from legal practitioners for undermining professional decorum.
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