Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has launched a fierce legal broadside against the Justice Pwamang Committee investigating petitions for her removal, accusing the body of orchestrating an unlawful and psychologically abusive process aimed at ousting her from office.
In a supplementary affidavit filed at the Supreme Court, Justice Torkornoo paints a picture of a flawed and coercive probe, alleging multiple constitutional breaches, procedural unfairness, and inhumane treatment at the hands of the committee.
Central to her grievance is what she describes as the “intimidating” setting of the proceedings—held at the high-security Osu Castle, rather than the Judicial Service Court Complex where similar hearings have historically been conducted. She contends that the choice of venue is part of a deliberate strategy to exert psychological pressure on her.
The suspended Chief Justice also accuses the committee of violating her right to a fair hearing by failing to provide a clear legal basis for the prima facie case established against her. According to her, this lack of transparency has obstructed her ability to fully understand the charges and mount an effective defense.
Further compounding her distress, she claims, was the committee’s unilateral scheduling of a hearing date without regard for the availability of her legal counsel—despite being informed of a pending Supreme Court case that challenges the very legitimacy of the proceedings.
Justice Torkornoo also objected to the committee’s acceptance of witness testimony on behalf of petitioners rather than requiring the petitioners themselves to appear in person, describing it as another deviation from fair practice.
In deeply personal terms, she details a series of indignities allegedly inflicted during the hearings—including denial of access to her phones, invasive searches, and refusal to allow her husband and children into the courtroom. Meanwhile, she claims, lawyers and clients on the petitioners’ side were given preferential treatment and full access to mobile phones.
The affidavit frames the entire inquiry as not just procedurally flawed but as an orchestrated effort to humiliate and undermine her, violating her rights to dignity, due process, and equal treatment under the law.
Justice Torkornoo’s legal battle now places the legitimacy of the ongoing impeachment inquiry under intense national scrutiny, raising critical questions about judicial independence, abuse of process, and the politicization of constitutional safeguards.
