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Former Chief Justice and current Council of State member, Justice Sophia Akuffo, has condemned the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, describing the process as unjust and a dangerous precedent for Ghana’s judiciary.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 following the announcement of Justice Torkornoo’s dismissal by President John Dramani Mahama, Justice Akuffo said the ordeal was one of the darkest moments in the country’s democratic journey.
“I pray to God that no Chief Justice, no Judge should go through this rigmarole again,” she said, adding that the inquiry and removal were handled unfairly.
According to her, Justice Torkornoo was treated as though she were on trial for treason. “She did not get a fair trial. Even though it is not a trial strictly speaking, it was handled as though it were a treason trial,” she lamented.
Her comments come amid widespread criticism of the removal, which many—including opposition MPs and civil society groups—have described as politically motivated and an attack on judicial independence.
Background to the Removal
On April 22, 2025, President Mahama suspended Chief Justice Torkornoo after three undisclosed petitions alleged misconduct and incompetence. Acting under Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution, he consulted the Council of State and set up a five-member committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang to investigate the claims.
The decision triggered backlash from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM), and the opposition NPP, all of whom described the suspension as unconstitutional and lacking transparency.
Justice Torkornoo herself publicly defended her position, calling the proceedings “arbitrary” and “cruel,” and refusing to resign on the grounds that doing so would mean submitting to a flawed process.
Despite the criticisms, the inquiry committee found her guilty of stated misbehaviour and recommended her removal. President Mahama acted on the report and officially dismissed her on September 1, 2025.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the most senior Supreme Court judge, has since been serving as acting Chief Justice.
