Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has claimed that the process leading to her removal from office by the John Mahama administration has violated the Constitution of Ghana.
She has outlined four key reasons she believes will lead to her controversial removal from office.
In a strongly worded statement when she addressed the press, Justice Torkornoo expressed deep disappointment over what she described as a politically motivated and unjust process aimed at discrediting her integrity and undermining the judiciary.
She described the ongoing proceedings for her removal as not only unprecedented but also deeply troubling for Ghana’s democratic development.
She argued that such a historic moment should have served as a model for transparency, legality, and institutional maturity.
Instead, Torkornoo expressed concern that the steps taken so far have disregarded established legal principles and the very foundation of justice delivery in the country.
“Unfortunately, every step of the removal process that has been undertaken against me has been done in a manner that breaks every rule on how justice is delivered in our country,” she said.
She continued, “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 made these remarks during a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, June 25—her first public appearance since her suspension.
She was suspended on April 22, 2025, by President John Mahama following three separate petitions that triggered a prima facie determination. The Council of State gave its consent, and a five-member committee was established under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution to investigate the matter.
The decision, unprecedented since the adoption of the 1992 Constitution, resulted in Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the next most senior judge on the Supreme Court, assuming the role of Acting Chief Justice.
The development has sparked political controversy and accusations of interference in the judiciary by opposition parties.
Justice Torkornoo, Ghana’s third female Chief Justice since June 2023, has since filed a legal challenge at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn her suspension and disqualify the committee from hearing her case.
Read Justice Torkornoo’s full response to the committee:
Statement by Chief Justice Sackey Torkornoo by emma tony on Scribd
