President John Dramani Mahama has received the findings of a committee of inquiry set up under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution to investigate petitions for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
The five-member panel, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, was tasked to examine three separate petitions after the President earlier determined that a prima facie case had been established.
Other members included former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo, Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces, and Professor James Sefah-Dzisah of the University of Ghana.
The report’s submission marks a critical step in the process, with President Mahama now expected to review the committee’s recommendations and communicate a final decision in due course.
The outcome will carry far-reaching implications for judicial independence, constitutional governance and public confidence in the courts, according to legal experts.
The inquiry followed the suspension of Justice Torkornoo on 22 April 2025, after petitions alleging misconduct and incompetence. Under the Constitution, the President—after consulting the Council of State—may suspend a Supreme Court justice once a prima facie case is established, pending the outcome of an inquiry.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the most senior member of the Supreme Court, was appointed Acting Chief Justice during the investigation.
The move has sparked strong reactions. The Ghana Bar Association described the suspension as unconstitutional, while the Centre for Democratic Movement warned that the inquiry risked undermining due process. The opposition New Patriotic Party also condemned the action, calling it a threat to Ghana’s democratic integrity.
Chief Justice Torkornoo has rejected the allegations, describing the proceedings as “arbitrary” and “cruel,” and has vowed not to resign.
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