In a bold legal maneuver that has stirred debate across Ghana’s legal and political spheres, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has stepped in to defend suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, sparking renewed scrutiny over the balance between legal ethics and institutional loyalty.
At the center of the storm is a suit filed on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the Supreme Court, where Justice Torkornoo seeks an interlocutory injunction to freeze all proceedings of the investigative committee handling three petitions for her removal. Her legal team, led by Dame, is also asking the Court to bar two sitting justices—Gabriel Scott Pwamang and Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu—from participating in the process, questioning their impartiality.
The move has ignited concerns over a potential conflict of interest, given Dame’s former role as Attorney-General. However, the legal heavyweight has forcefully dismissed such criticisms, stating on Joy News that he remains committed to the rule of law and the defense of the judiciary.
“If there’s any Attorney-General who has stood consistently in defense of the judiciary and against unjust attacks, it is myself,” Dame asserted. “We must uphold righteousness and correct false narratives that mislead the public.”
The case names five respondents: Justices Pwamang and Adibu-Asiedu, former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo, Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo, and Professor James Sefah Dzisah. Together, they constitute the committee whose operations Justice Torkornoo is seeking to halt.
Her suspension by President John Dramani Mahama, executed under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, has already set the tone for what promises to be a defining constitutional showdown, testing both the resilience of Ghana’s judicial independence and the ethical boundaries of legal representation.
As the legal battle unfolds, the broader question looms: Can the institutions of justice and governance navigate the murky waters of internal accountability while preserving public confidence in their integrity?
