My removal process violates every rule of justice – Suspended CJ

Suspended Chief Justice(CJ) Gertrude Torkornoo has publicly raised alarm over what she describes as a blatant disregard for the rule of law in the process triggered for her removal from office.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, June 25, the embattled Chief Justice said the procedures being followed in her case violate fundamental principles of justice and threaten the integrity of Ghana’s democratic institutions.

“Unfortunately, every step of the removal process being undertaken against me is being done in a manner that breaks every rule on how justice is delivered in our country. And this is why I find the need to draw the nation’s attention to the serious violations of the Constitution and the law in the process and the danger it holds for the development of the nation’s democracy,” she said.

The suspension followed a series of petitions accusing Justice Torkornoo of misconduct. In line with Article 146(6) of the Constitution, a five-member committee was constituted to probe the allegations. The committee’s sittings have been held in camera, consistent with constitutional requirements.

Attempts to stop both the suspension and the impeachment process through legal action failed. The Supreme Court dismissed four separate suits and interlocutory injunction applications, including one filed directly by Justice Torkornoo.

Appointed in June 2023, Justice Torkornoo became Ghana’s third female Chief Justice. Her suspension marks an unprecedented moment in the Fourth Republic, as she becomes the first sitting Chief Justice to face potential removal under such circumstances—an action she has vowed to resist.