Ghana’s suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, has escalated her legal battle by filing a new application at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, seeking redress against her suspension and the ongoing removal proceedings.
This move adds a regional dimension to the high-profile controversy that has gripped Ghana’s judiciary and political landscape.
The filing, made on July 4, alleges violations of her human rights, arguing that her suspension amounts to an effective removal from office without a final decision on the petitions filed against her.
Justice Torkornoo’s suspension, ordered by President John Dramani Mahama under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, has already been challenged domestically before the Supreme Court and the High Court.
Meanwhile, three petitions seeking her permanent removal remain under investigation by a parliamentary committee.
Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai disclosed the ECOWAS Court application in a social media post on July 8, highlighting the Chief Justice’s claim that the suspension has unjustly curtailed her constitutional role.
The Attorney General’s office is concurrently fighting to dismiss her judicial review application in Ghana’s High Court, arguing procedural defects and the absence of necessary parties in the case.
President Mahama has repeatedly assured the public that the administration is strictly following constitutional procedures, emphasizing that the final decision rests on the outcome of the investigative committee’s report.
The ongoing dispute has sparked widespread national debate about judicial independence, with opposition parties, legal experts, and civil society groups voicing concerns over the potential implications for Ghana’s rule of law.
As the situation unfolds both locally and regionally, all eyes remain on the parliamentary committee’s report, which will play a decisive role in the future of Justice Torkornoo’s tenure as Chief Justice.
