Former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has asked the Supreme Court to review and set aside key orders it issued in proceedings connected to petitions that led to her removal from office, arguing that the court violated her right to a fair hearing.
In an application filed on June 23, 2026, through her legal team, the former Chief Justice contends that the apex court proceeded with the case after her lawyer had withdrawn, leaving her without legal representation during a crucial stage of the proceedings.
According to the application, the court’s decision to continue hearing the matter breached the audi alteram partem principle of natural justice, which guarantees every party the opportunity to be heard before a decision affecting their rights is made.
She argues that any orders made in violation of this constitutional principle are legally invalid and should be nullified under the Supreme Court’s review jurisdiction.
The application seeks to overturn several orders issued on May 28, including the decision to continue proceedings despite the absence of her lawyer, the directive for the Registrar to serve notice of counsel’s withdrawal, permission granted for parties to file additional processes before judgment, the adoption of memoranda of issues in two separate writs, the consolidation of the cases, and the adjournment of the matter to July 2, 2026, for judgment.
The latest application adds another chapter to the former Chief Justice’s legal battle following her removal from office on September 1, 2025, the first removal of a sitting Chief Justice under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The removal process began in March 2025 after petitions alleging stated misbehaviour were submitted to President John Dramani Mahama. Following a prima facie determination, the President suspended Justice Torkornoo on April 22, 2025, and constituted a five-member investigative committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang. The committee subsequently found that grounds for stated misbehaviour had been established and recommended her removal.
Justice Torkornoo has since challenged aspects of the process in both domestic and international courts. Most recently, the ECOWAS Community Court dismissed her application contesting the legality of her removal, ruling after considering the issues raised by both parties.
