Chief Justice Torkornoo Challenges Suspension in Court
Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court on May 21, 2025, through her lawyer Godfred Dame, seeking 16 reliefs to halt her impeachment process. She argues the prima facie case against her is “arbitrary, capricious, unconstitutional, and void,” asserting her right to a public hearing under Ghana’s Constitution and claiming the process undermines judicial independence.
Torkornoo’s suit, naming the Attorney-General, Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, Daniel Yao Domelovo, and other committee members as defendants, seeks to restrain the five-member committee established by President John Mahama from proceeding with inquiries into three petitions for her removal. She also requests that Justices Pwamang and Adibu-Asiedu be barred from participating, citing fair hearing rights.
The filing follows the Supreme Court’s 4-1 dismissal on May 21 of the Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems (CenCES) application to stop the impeachment process. Torkornoo’s interlocutory injunction aims to pause the committee’s work, arguing that her suspension and the prima facie case constitute an unjust attempt to oust her as head of Ghana’s Judiciary.
Torkornoo’s legal challenge, rooted in constitutional provisions like Articles 146 and 295, underscores tensions over judicial independence and executive influence. The Supreme Court’s ruling is poised to set a significant precedent.