Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has launched a scathing critique of the Presidential Committee probing her potential removal from office, describing its conduct as a violation of her fundamental human rights and an affront to the independence of the judiciary.
In a three-page supplementary affidavit filed at the Supreme Court, the embattled Chief Justice is seeking an interlocutory injunction to halt the inquiry process, which she claims has become “a complete desecration” of her right to a fair trial.
According to her lawyer, Kwabena Adu-Kusi, the committee was scheduled to resume hearings on May 22, 2025, following earlier proceedings, but defied legal norms by continuing the inquiry the next day, May 23, despite her pending suit before the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Torkornoo says she was neither informed of the specific grounds for the prima facie case established against her nor the nature of the allegations—thus robbing her of the opportunity to mount a meaningful defence.
Among the issues raised in her affidavit were:
- The committee’s refusal on May 15 to recognise her counsel in her absence.
- The decision on May 23 to allow petitioners to call external witnesses without testifying themselves—an approach she claims violates established rules of evidence and procedure.
- Security restrictions placed on her and her legal team at the hearing venue, including body searches and bans on mobile phones and laptops, which she says did not apply to petitioners’ lawyers.
- Denial of access to the hearing room for her family members.
- Holding the hearing at the Castle, Osu, a high-security location she described as intimidating and designed to mentally wear her down.
Justice Torkornoo also decried the deviation from precedent, noting that Article 146-related proceedings have historically been conducted in judicial facilities, not state security premises.
Calling the process a “mockery of justice,” she accused the committee of orchestrating a political scheme to undermine the judiciary and unseat her through unjust means. She urged the Supreme Court to urgently grant an injunction to safeguard judicial independence and protect the constitutional rights of judges.
The case has drawn national attention, with many legal observers and civil society groups watching closely as Ghana’s judiciary faces a potential constitutional crisis.
