Lead Counsel for former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, Ayikoi Otoo, has criticised the government for swearing in a new Chief Justice despite unresolved petitions regarding her removal.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Ayikoi Otoo said the Executive ignored cautions from lawyers that proceeding with a new nomination before concluding all three petitions submitted to the inquiry committee was inappropriate.
He explained that the committee had ruled on only one petition, yet a report was swiftly submitted to the President, who accepted its recommendation on the same day.
According to him, concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament during the vetting of the new Chief Justice were also disregarded, resulting in what he described as a premature swearing-in.
Ayikoi Otoo argued that celebrating the latest ECOWAS Court decision is unnecessary since the government has already installed a new Chief Justice.
“What is newsworthy is that the ECOWAS Court has made a preliminary determination that rights may have been violated and has given the Attorney General 30 days to respond to the substantive matter,” he stated.
He revealed that in October, lawyers wrote to the ECOWAS Court indicating that they no longer wished to pursue interim measures due to delays and instead requested a hearing date for the main case.
This development follows the ECOWAS Court’s dismissal of former Chief Justice Torkornoo’s request for interim orders to halt the committee investigating the circumstances surrounding her removal.
The Court also rejected Ghana’s preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction.
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