Suspended Chief Justice – Adomonline.com

Napo sends important message over suspension of Chief Justice Torkornoo [Listen]

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 20:12:16 +0000

Former Manhyia South MP and Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has expressed deep concern over the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, describing it as “sad, disappointing, and dangerous for Ghana’s democracy.”

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Dr. Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, said he was shocked that the Council of State, which he described as a body of “dignified and renowned members,” could recommend such a measure based on what he called “hollow and frivolous” petitions.

“I never understood the issues until the petitions became public. I was disgusted when the Council of State recommended her suspension on the basis of those petitions. These matters are trivial, and if anyone sued me on these grounds, they would never win,” he said.

The NPP 2024 Vice-Presidential Candidate warned that if President John Mahama proceeds with the removal of Chief Justice Torkornoo, it would erode the security of tenure for Supreme Court judges and undermine judicial independence in Ghana.

“If President Mahama succeeds in removing Torkornoo, no Supreme Court judge will feel secure under different governments. It disgraces the nation internationally and sets a very bad precedent,” he cautioned.

Dr. Prempeh further highlighted the recent removal of the Director of Legal Education and the resignation of the Judicial Secretary under controversial circumstances, arguing that these events point to a worrying trend in the judiciary.

“We know she resigned, but was it voluntary or forceful? We must get the back story,” he added.

He urged the President to reconsider his actions.

“My advice to Mahama is that he is now the president, but no condition is permanent. If the Chief Justice is removed under these circumstances, it can destroy the nation forever. It is distasteful, and we must tread cautiously,” he stressed.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was suspended in April 2025 following petitions that questioned aspects of her conduct in office. The move sparked intense debate among legal practitioners, civil society groups, and political figures.

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Critics argue that the petitions are weak and politically motivated, warning they threaten judicial independence and Ghana’s reputation internationally, while others maintain that accountability at the highest levels of the judiciary is necessary to preserve public confidence.

The embattled Chief Justice is currently challenging the suspension at the ECOWAS court, amidst calls from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Bar Council of England and Wales, and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association for her reinstatement.

Source: Gertrude Otchere

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High Court throws out suspended Chief Justice’s judicial review bid

Gertrude Okyere — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:36:53 +0000

The Human Rights Division of the High Court has dismissed an application for judicial review filed by suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

Presiding judge, Justice Kwame Amoako, in a ruling on Thursday, July 30, 2025, described the application as an “abuse of court processes” and ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.

This marks the second failed legal attempt by Justice Torkornoo to stop ongoing proceedings seeking her possible removal from office under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

The judicial review followed an earlier constitutional interpretation case she filed at the Supreme Court, which remains pending. However, her separate request for an injunction to halt the impeachment process until the Supreme Court delivers its ruling was also previously dismissed.

Filed on June 9, 2025, the judicial review application sought nine reliefs, including declarations that the committee investigating her under Article 146 had acted unlawfully. She also asked for an order to quash the committee’s proceedings and to prohibit it from continuing unless authenticated copies of the petitions and her responses were provided.

But the court found that many of her claims overlapped with issues already before the Supreme Court. Justice Amoako held that revisiting those matters amounted to duplicative litigation and therefore constituted an abuse of process.

He added that the High Court lacked the authority to interfere with the work of the Article 146 committee, which, under Article 146(8) of the Constitution, must be conducted in-camera and protected from outside review.

The ruling followed a motion filed by the Attorney-General on July 1, 2025, seeking to strike out the application.

The A-G’s office argued that the application suffered from fundamental legal defects and warned that allowing it to proceed would constitute judicial overreach and breach established Supreme Court precedents.

The A-G further contended that the Human Rights Court had no jurisdiction over the matter, as it involved issues already under consideration by the Supreme Court.

Source: Adomonline.com

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ECOWAS Court: Suspended CJ demands $10M compensation; check out full details

Gertrude Okyere — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:38:07 +0000

It has emerged that suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo is demanding $10 million in compensation for alleged moral and reputational damages.

This was contained in the suit filed at the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, against government, challenging her suspension and the ongoing process to remove her from office.

In all, the embattled Chief Justice Torkornoo is seeking nine reliefs from the Community Court of Justice.

In April 2025, President John Mahama, in consultation with the Council of State, suspended the Chief Justice following a prima facie case established from three separate petitions seeking her removal.

However, the application filed at the ECOWAS Court has argued that her suspension amounts to a de facto removal from office without a final determination of the petitions against her.

Read full details of the reliefs being sought below:

A “declaration that the suspension of the Applicant (Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo) as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana by the President of the Respondent’s State on 22 April 2025 violated the Applicant’s human rights to a fair hearing guaranteed by Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
“A declaration that the panel instituted by the Respondent (Ghana) to investigate and determine the allegations of misconduct against the Applicant was not constituted to guarantee its independence and impartiality and as such has violated the Applicant’s human right to fair hearing guaranteed by Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“A declaration that the purported suspension of the Applicant as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana by the President of the Respondent State on 22 April 2025, constitutes a violation of her human right to fair equitable and satisfactory conditions guaranteed by Article 15 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“a declaration that the purported suspension of the Applicant as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana by the President of the Respondent State on 22 April 2025 has exposed her to public ridicule and odium locally and internationally and the said act constitutes a violation of her human right to dignity guaranteed by Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“a declaration that by subjecting the Applicant to an illegal and unfair investigation and trial since April 2025, the Respondent has inflicted injuries on her professional standing and image, thereby ‘exposing her and her family to immeasurable public ridicule.”
“an order to the Respondent Republic to act immediately to prescribe the rule of procedure to govern the investigation of allegations of misconduct against the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana in conformity with the right to fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution of Ghana and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“an order directing the Respondent to immediately lift the suspension and restore the Applicant to full office until the conclusion of fair constitutional proceedings.”
“an order restraining the Respondent from continuing with the purported inquiry for the removal of the Applicant as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana in its current form, until it conforms to fair hearing guarantees.”
“an award of USD 10 million as compensation for moral and reputational damages suffered by the Applicant as a result of her illegal suspension and unfair investigation, and lastly, “any other relief(s) as the Honourable Court deems just.”

In addition, Chief Justice Torkornoo has requested that the Court, pending its decision on the merits of the main case, assign four precautionary measures to Ghana.

1. “That the Republic of Ghana suspend the disciplinary/removal from office as Chief Justice process against the Applicant, pending the hearing and determination of the complaint on the merits.”

2. “That Ghana ensures that the Applicant continues to enjoy the paraphernalia and entitlements of her office as the Chief Justice of Ghana pending the hearing and determination of the case.”

3. “That Ghana refrains from taking any other measures that may harm the rights claimed by the Applicant and /or aggravate or extend the dispute submitted to the Court, or compromise the implementation of any decision that the Court may render.”

4. “Given the urgency of the situation, the Applicant respectfully requests the Court to hold a hearing on this request as soon as possible, and that the President of the Court ask Ghana to act in order to allow any order that the Court may issue on the Request for Assignment of Precautionary Measures to have its appropriate effect.”

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Supreme Court throws out injunction application by suspended Chief Justice

Faridatu Seidu — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:21:25 +0000

The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed an interlocutory injunction application filed by suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo.

Delivering the ruling on behalf of the five-member panel, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said the application lacked merit and was therefore dismissed in its entirety.

The application had sought to halt the ongoing committee proceedings investigating the Chief Justice, with her legal team alleging unfair treatment in the process.

With the dismissal, the committee is now free to continue its probe into the allegations brought against Justice Torkornoo.

Speaking to the media after the ruling, former Attorney General and lead counsel for the suspended Chief Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, said he was not surprised by the decision. He added, “We’ll study the court’s reasoning once it’s available and determine our next course of action.”

Source: Kodwo Mensah Abroampa

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