Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has condemned the removal of her successor as unfair and dangerous to judicial independence, following Ghana’s controversial dismissal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
President John Dramani Mahama sacked Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo on Monday, September 1, 2025, hours after he received the report of the 5-member committee he set up under Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution. The removal took immediate effect.
Speaking on TV3 Tuesday, Akuffo described the investigative process as fundamentally flawed. “She did not get a fair trial,” Akuffo said, adding that the process was “handled as though it were a treason trial” despite not being a formal criminal proceeding.
The removal stems from a petition dated March 17, 2025 presented by Daniel Ofori on the grounds of misconduct and stated misbehaviour. Torkornoo had been suspended since April following the establishment of prima facie grounds for investigation.
President Mahama appointed a five-member inquiry panel chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang to investigate three petitions alleging misconduct. The committee included Justice Samuel Adibu-Asiedu, former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo, Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo, and Professor James Sefah-Dzisah.
The suspension sent shockwaves through Ghana’s legal community. The Ghana Bar Association condemned the action as unconstitutional, arguing that proper regulatory procedures were not followed under Article 296 of the Constitution.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the most senior Supreme Court judge, served as acting Chief Justice during the investigation process.
The Centre for Democratic Movement also denounced the proceedings, citing concerns about the committee’s composition and lack of transparency that potentially undermined due process.
Torkornoo has defended herself throughout the ordeal, characterizing the suspension and removal proceedings as “arbitrary” and “cruel.” She refused to resign, emphasizing that doing so would amount to submitting to a flawed process.
The opposition New Patriotic Party echoed criticism of the proceedings, condemning the suspension as unconstitutional and warning that it jeopardized Ghana’s democratic integrity.
Akuffo’s intervention adds significant weight to growing criticism of the removal process. As Torkornoo’s immediate predecessor, her public condemnation highlights deep concerns within Ghana’s judicial community about the proceedings’ fairness and potential impact on judicial independence.
The removal represents a significant moment in Ghana’s judicial history, marking the first Chief Justice dismissal through Article 146 procedures. Legal observers are closely monitoring potential impacts on court independence and democratic governance.
International media outlets have reported extensively on the dismissal, reflecting global attention to Ghana’s judicial proceedings and their implications for democratic institutions in West Africa.
The controversy underscores ongoing tensions between Ghana’s executive and judicial branches, with critics arguing that the removal process sets a troubling precedent for future judicial accountability measures.
Torkornoo served as Ghana’s Chief Justice from June 2023 until her removal, becoming the third woman to hold the position in the country’s history.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
