According to a report from GhanaWeb, retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has expressed concerns over the rationale behind President Akufo-Addo’s decision to reject a petition calling for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo
The petition, initiated by legal academic Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, accused the Chief Justice of misconduct and incompetence. Allegations included irregularities such as reconstituting judicial panels, issuing practice directions, and breaching constitutional provisions.
However, shortly before leaving office, President Akufo-Addo dismissed the petition following advice from the Council of State.
His conclusion was that the complaint lacked substance and failed to establish grounds for further inquiry.
Key reasons cited for rejecting the petition included the absence of substantial evidence and the interpretation that the Chief Justice’s administrative functions aligned with legal procedures as outlined in the Courts Act.
Despite this, some have criticized the decision, viewing it as potentially influenced by partisan considerations.
In an interview with Joy News, Justice Atuguba questioned the neutrality of the process, suggesting that the political climate in Ghana often clouds objective judgment.
“This country—people like to pretend a lot, and that is my problem with Ghanaians. What necessarily shows that what President Akufo-Addo did was without politics? What was inherently not political there? What are the sound reasons we know that would justify it? What were the petitions? People don’t deal with those,” he said.
He argued that political affiliations tend to shape how actions are perceived—praising or condemning decisions based more on allegiances than merit.
According to him, this entrenched bias undermines governance and erodes trust in national institutions.