In a latest development, the Office of the President has received two fresh petitions seeking the immediate removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office.
This comes after the President suspended the Chief Justice on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
These two petitions add up to the earlier three submitted by separate individuals on February 14 and March 17, 2025.
While the contents of all five petitions are confidential in accordance with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, insiders suggest they include serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power.
The President, acting in consultation with the Council of State and in accordance with Article 146(6) of the Constitution, has sparked a nationwide discussion regarding judicial independence and the risk of politicising constitutional matters.
In line with legal requirements, Chief Justice Torkornoo was provided with the original petitions and was given ten days to formulate her response.
After submitting her response on April 7, 2025, it was concluded that the allegations merited a comprehensive investigation.
With her suspension now in effect, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the highest-ranking member of the Supreme Court, has been appointed to serve as the acting Chief Justice, as stated in Article 144(6).
Reactions from the public regarding the suspension and the increasing number of petitions have been rapid and divided.
Critics, comprising opposition legislators and legal experts, have accused the government of pursuing a political agenda to reshape the judiciary for partisan gain.
Conversely, some contend that the constitutional process is being followed appropriately and should be allowed to proceed.
Legal experts like Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh from the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) have called for greater transparency, advocating for the publication of the grounds and outcomes of such removal proceedings to maintain public trust in the judiciary.
Following the Chief Justice’s suspension, a full inquiry is underway, led by a five-member investigative committee, chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Justice of the Supreme Court.
