Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Braimah said the decision demonstrates the strength and independence of Ghana’s institutions.

“I think in a democracy, when you find that institutions are independent and strong, I think that is really helpful,” he said.

His comments follow the Chief Justice’s decision to dismiss petitions seeking the removal of the Special Prosecutor and EC officials, allowing them to remain in office.

Mr Braimah reflected on the political tensions that have surrounded the Electoral Commission in recent years. He noted that during the period when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was in opposition, the Commission faced heavy criticism.

“We’ve come from a period when, right in the days of the NDC in opposition, the commentary and so on and so forth was absolutely not too good for the Electoral Commission,” he said.

He added that at one point, many EC decisions appeared to align with the position of the then-governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“We got to a point where almost every decision of the EC was sort of always in line with what the NPP says their position is,” he stated.

“It got to a point where it was almost like, okay, the EC says this, the NPP says we agree. The NPP says this, and it appears to be the same position as the EC.”

According to him, this generated strong concerns from the NDC, although he acknowledged that such reactions are common in partisan politics.

“At all times, the opposition would always be against the EC or speak against the EC’s decision, and we are beginning to see that now,” he said.

Mr Braimah argued that the real test of institutional independence comes when due process does not favour the party in power.

“If we’ve gone through all this, and then the party comes to power, and the leadership of the party says these people must go, and then a process is rolled out, in the end, the Chief Justice says, well, nothing has been established,’ and the people stay in power,” he explained.

He pointed out that the Chief Justice was appointed under the same government, making the ruling even more significant in his view.

“We’re also talking about a Chief Justice who was recently appointed under the same government. For me, it is fulfilling that we have institutions that appear to be independent and strong.”

He also cited a recent Supreme Court ruling on the Kpandai High Court decision as another example of institutions working in accordance with the law rather than political pressure.

“It is not about the wishes of the government in power. It is about what the law says. And it’s about the interpretation of the adjudicating bodies,” he said.

Mr Braimah maintained that such developments strengthen Ghana’s democratic system.

“That, for me, is what would make our democracy strong and resilient. And that’s why I’m happy about this decision.”

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However, he emphasized that her success largely depends on the composition of the panel at the Apex Court, which he described as “currently divided.”

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Adofo stated that if Acting Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, Justice Yonny Kulendi, and Justice Amadu Tanko are excluded from the panel, Justice Torkornoo is likely to succeed.

“In terms of looking at it objectively, she may have a case. But at the moment, the Supreme Court panel is divided. It depends on the panel she will get. If it doesn’t include any of these three people, then she will win,” he said.

Justice Torkornoo is seeking an interlocutory injunction to stop all committee proceedings until the Supreme Court determines her case.

Her application also calls for Justices Gabriel Pwamang and Samuel Adibu-Asiedu to recuse themselves from the committee’s work. She argues that Justice Pwamang previously ruled in favour of one of the petitioners, Daniel Ofori, and therefore lacks the neutrality to chair the committee.

She also contends that Justice Adibu-Asiedu is not qualified to sit on the committee because he was part of the Supreme Court panel hearing an earlier injunction application related to the impeachment process.

Commenting on these points, Mr. Adofo described her concerns as legitimate.

“According to the rules, if there’s an appeal or further action on a ruling, the same judge cannot sit on it again. So now that the ruling has become a subject of petition, how can you preside on a case seeking her removal?

“If what I’m hearing is true, then Justice Pwamang should have stepped aside. He shouldn’t have even accepted the role,” he added.

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Speaking to Accra-based TV3, Mr. Okudzeto acknowledged that the President acted within the confines of the Constitution in suspending the Chief Justice following the establishment of a committee to investigate the petitions.

However, the legal luminary expressed skepticism that the Chief Justice would return to her role even if the committee clears her of wrongdoing.

“The President has the power to reinstate that person [the Chief Justice],” he said. “But of course, I don’t see it happening in this case.”

The Chief Justice was suspended on April 23, 2025, following advice from the Council of State and in line with Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the formation of a committee to investigate a superior court judge once a prima facie case is established.

Mr. Okudzeto noted that while the constitutional framework is being followed, the timing and emergence of multiple petitions — particularly after a similar one was dismissed under former President Akufo-Addo — raise suspicions of interference.

He recalled his role as part of the Council of State during the Akufo-Addo administration, when an initial petition seeking the removal of Justice Torkornoo was dismissed after consultations.

“It was dealt with by the Council of State, and the Council of State [at the time] said it found no merit in the petition, so it was recommended to be dismissed,” Mr. Okudzeto explained on Tuesday.

According to him, the sudden resurgence of new petitions under the current government is concerning.

“But then the question is that when people are bent on someone, you find that other people will be writing petitions. Personally, I feel this is a dangerous thing for any democracy when the public is allowed or, sometimes, when people say the public has a right. Yes, the question, of course, is that the public’s right is sometimes also suspicious, in the sense that not everybody understands the judicial system or the way it works,” he added.

President Mahama cited Article 146(6) of the Constitution, which mandates the establishment of a committee to probe allegations against a superior court judge if a prima facie case is established.

According to the statement, President Mahama determined that sufficient grounds exist to warrant further inquiry.

The committee tasked with investigating the petitions comprises individuals from various sectors:

• Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang – Justice of the Supreme Court

• Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu – Justice of the Supreme Court

• Daniel Yaw Domelevo – Former Auditor-General

• Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo – Ghana Armed Forces

• Professor James Sefah Dzisah – Associate Professor, University of Ghana

In accordance with Article 146(10) of the Constitution and upon the advice of the Council of State, President Mahama issued a warrant suspending the Chief Justice with immediate effect pending the outcome of the committee’s proceedings.

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In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod) said the responses are even more damning compared to the allegations made in the three petitions.

Mr. Gyamfi claimed that Justice Torkornoo, in her response, admitted to misbehaviour and unlawful conduct.

“I am happy I did not intercept the petitions; if I had, people would have said it was because my party is in power. But I intercepted the responses through someone, and they are more damning than the petitions themselves,” he said.

However, he did not explicitly disclose what the alleged admissions in the Chief Justice’s responses were.

Sammy Gyamfi’s remarks follow the suspension of Chief Justice Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama.

The suspension, announced on April 22, came after the establishment of a committee to investigate multiple petitions seeking the removal of the top judicial official.

The move complies with constitutional provisions and followed consultations with the Council of State.

Meanwhile, Mahama has set up a five-member committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang to investigate the petitions.

The other members of the committee, including eminent figures from the legal, military, academic, and public service sectors, will conduct a thorough inquiry into the allegations.

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