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0 Suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has issued a rare public address, warning that the process to remove her from office sets a dangerous precedent for the country’s democracy and judiciary.
In a televised statement on Wednesday, Chief Justice Torkornoo described the ongoing proceedings against her as deeply flawed, unlawful, and unprecedented, asserting that although she may be the only one under investigation, the implications extend far beyond her.
“Though I am in the process alone, its effects ripple far beyond me as a person,” she said. “It affects how all judges and heads of independent constitutional bodies may be removed in the future.”
The Chief Justice is currently the subject of an Article 146 removal process— which she said is something that has never before happened in Ghana’s 68-year history.
She described the procedure as unconstitutional, lacking transparency, and “designed to intimidate,” citing a catalogue of irregularities and violations of natural justice.
Among the breaches she pointed out were the committee’s refusal to share copies of the petitions and evidence with her legal team, the denial of her right to cross-examine petitioners, and the decision to hold the hearings in secret at a high-security zone she described as symbolically threatening.
“I am being tried behind high walls at Adu Lodge, a site associated with the planning of the murder of judges in 1981,” she said. “Was it chosen to make me feel insecure? I think so.”
She also raised concerns about conflict of interest in the composition of the committee, noting that Justice Gabriel Pwamang—who chairs the committee—once ruled in favour of a key petitioner, Mr Daniel Ofori, in a Supreme Court case in which she dissented.
She questioned the fairness of allowing a judge involved in that matter to preside over her removal proceedings.
Chief Justice Torkornoo revealed that she had taken legal steps to have the hearings opened to the public and to challenge the committee’s procedure.
However, her requests were dismissed by the Supreme Court, and her supplementary affidavit on human rights violations was struck out at the Attorney-General’s request.
Despite growing calls for her resignation, the Chief Justice stood firm, saying she would not be coerced into stepping down.
“Resigning or retiring while Article 146 proceedings are ongoing is not even an option available to a judge or public officer under the Constitution,” she stated. “If I resign under these circumstances, I would be saying this flawed process is acceptable. It is not.”
She added that efforts to frustrate her into resignation would only allow the architects of the process to claim her silence or departure as validation of the charges—charges she insists are false, unfounded, and politically motivated.
The Chief Justice further explained that she responded fully to the three petitions filed against her, including allegations from Mr Ofori, which she described as either factually wrong, misinformed, or grounded in personal dissatisfaction with legitimate judicial processes.
“If this model of removal can be tried on the Chief Justice, it can be repeated with anyone,” she said. “I sounded the warning. The nation must now decide whether to act or ignore it.”
