Suspended Chief Justice Asks Court to Declare Petitioning Group Non-Existent

Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has filed a new case at the High Court, seeking a declaration that The Shining Stars of Ghana, one of the groups behind a petition for her removal, does not legally exist.

According to the lawsuit, Justice Torkornoo and her legal team argue that there is no official record proving the group’s legal existence, and therefore its petition should be declared null and void.

In the suit, sighted by 3News, she is asking the court to rule that The Shining Stars of Ghana is non-existent in both law and fact, and that its petition submitted to the President on February 14, 2025, is invalid.

Specifically, she is seeking:

• A declaration that the group does not legally or factually exist;
• A declaration that the petition it submitted is void;
• A declaration that the President’s prima facie determination (communicated via a letter dated April 22, 2025), made in consultation with the Council of State based on the petition, is null and without legal effect;
• An order for the High Court to quash that prima facie finding.

Background and Broader Legal Efforts

Justice Torkornoo was suspended on April 22, 2025, after the President, following Article 146(6) of the Constitution and in consultation with the Council of State, determined a prima facie case had been established from three different petitions.

A five-member committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang was formed to investigate the allegations. However, the Chief Justice has strongly opposed the process, raising concerns over alleged rights violations, including invasive searches, denial of electronic access, and restricted contact with family members.

Earlier efforts to halt the committee’s work through the Supreme Court were unsuccessful, prompting her legal team to escalate the matter to the High Court and the ECOWAS Court.

At the ECOWAS Court, her team is demanding:

• A declaration that her suspension breaches her human rights;
• A ruling that the investigative committee lacks the independence required under international law;
• An order for her reinstatement;
• $10 million in compensation for reputational and moral harm caused by the suspension.

This latest legal action adds a new layer to what has become one of the most high-profile judicial controversies in Ghana’s recent legal history.

SOURCE: 3news