Former Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, has mounted a strong legal challenge against her removal from office, describing the process as unconstitutional, unfair, and procedurally defective.
In a judicial review application filed at the High Court in Accra on October 16, 2025, Justice Torkornoo is asking the court to quash both the findings of the committee that investigated her and the presidential warrant that resulted in her dismissal on September 1, 2025.
The suit, which names the Attorney-General as respondent, also seeks to halt the ongoing process to appoint a new Chief Justice until the matter is determined.
Justice Torkornoo contends that the committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, which investigated allegations of misconduct against her, breached the principles of natural justice and relied on false or misleading claims. According to her, the committee’s report failed to meet the constitutional standards required for the removal of a Chief Justice under Article 146.
Her lawyers argue that many of the issues cited as misconduct were administrative matters handled by authorized officers of the Judicial Service rather than personal actions by the Chief Justice. They further maintain that her decisions on transfers and judicial appointments were legitimate exercises of her constitutional authority.
Beyond challenging her removal, the former Chief Justice is also seeking an order to prevent the government from withholding her salary, benefits, and other entitlements accrued prior to her removal. She insists that those payments are her lawful due and cannot be suspended or revoked retroactively.
Justice Torkornoo’s legal action is the first major challenge to the dismissal of a sitting Chief Justice in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, setting the stage for a potentially precedent-setting constitutional test.
The High Court is expected to announce a hearing date in the coming days.
