Gertrude Torkornoo has been suspended from office as the Chief Justice
The Supreme Court has dismissed an action filed by the Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems (CenCES), which sought to reverse President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice and to halt the work of the removal committee.
The decision was reached by a 4-1 majority of a five-member panel chaired by Acting Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie. The majority votes came from Justice Tanko Amadu, Justice Yonny Kulendi, and Justice Henry Kwofie, alongside the Chair.
However, Justice Yaw Asare Darko dissented, resulting in a split 4-1 decision.
The Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems, a civil society organisation, sought to contest the constitutionality of Torkornoo’s removal process.
This followed President John Dramani Mahama’s suspension of Chief Justice Torkornoo on April 22, 2025, after a prima facie case was established against her based on petitions from private citizen Daniel Ofori, senior police officer Ayamga Akolgo, and the civic advocacy group Shining Stars of Ghana.
Among the reliefs they sought was a declaration that the President’s response to the petitions was unconstitutional, citing violations of Articles 17(1)–(3), 23, 296, and 146(1)–(4) and (6) of the 1992 Constitution.
The organisation contends that the process lacked due process and failed to uphold constitutional principles of fairness, non-discrimination, and lawful administrative conduct.
The dismissal of the suit by the Supreme Court follows a similar case on May 6, 2025, when the Court, in a 3-2 ruling, rejected an application to injunct the removal process and lift the Chief Justice’s suspension.
Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, along with Justices Yonny Kulendi and Amadu Tanko, delivered the majority decision, while Justices Henrietta Mensah Bonsu and Ernest Gaewu dissented.
MAG/MA
After the heavy rains over the weekend, a lot of debris have been left across many parts of Accra. Watch some of the destructions below: