The five-member committee tasked with investigating petitions against Ghana’s suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, is set to commence its hearings today, Thursday, May 15, 2025.
The committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, was established by President John Dramani Mahama under Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution, following consultations with the Council of State. The move comes after a prima facie case was established against the Chief Justice, leading to her suspension on April 22, 2025.
However, the decision to suspend Justice Torkonoo weeks before the committee’s first sitting has sparked criticism from some quarters.
Parliamentary Criticism
Isaac Boamah-Nyarko, the Member of Parliament for Effia, has publicly questioned the timing of the suspension, expressing concerns about the lack of a clear timeline for the committee’s work.
Speaking on the Point Blank segment of Eyewitness News on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Boamah-Nyarko argued that the delay in starting the hearings undermines the fairness of the process.
“If you check, the last time the president suspended the Chief Justice was on April 22, 2025, and that is close to about three weeks. My question is, if the committee that has been set up would require more than three weeks to start sitting, why then did you suspend the Chief Justice?” he asked.
He further criticized the lack of a specified deadline for the committee’s report, questioning the transparency of the process.
“Three weeks later, and you are now telling us that the committee is coming to start sitting? Then, you tell us the committee should submit their report after completing their work. Which committee is set up without a timeline? When you set up a committee, you give the committee a timeline,” Boamah-Nyarko stated.
Next Steps
The committee is expected to hear testimonies and review evidence related to the petitions filed against Chief Justice Torkonoo, though details of the specific allegations have not been publicly disclosed.
The outcome of these hearings will likely have significant implications for the judiciary and the broader legal community in Ghana, as the committee’s findings will inform the President’s final decision on the Chief Justice’s future.
As the hearings begin, all eyes will be on the committee’s ability to conduct a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation into the matter.
