Torkornoo Has Proven She Wasn’t Mature Enough to Be Chief Justice – Ansa-Asare Fires

Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, has taken a swipe at former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, describing her recent legal challenge against her removal from office as evidence of “immaturity” and “disrespect” for Ghana’s judicial system.

Justice Torkornoo has filed an application at the High Court in Accra seeking to quash all proceedings and findings of the Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang Committee, which investigated petitions for her removal under Article 146 of the Constitution.

She is also asking the court to set aside the presidential warrant that authorised her removal and to halt the vetting and appointment of her successor, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.

Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Friday, October 17, 2025, Mr. Ansa-Asare said he had no sympathy for Justice Torkornoo, insisting that her actions amounted to “gross abuse and disrespect” for the country’s laws.

“I am sympathetic that she is losing everything, but as far as the law is concerned, I don’t sympathise with her at all. She is now demonstrating gross abuse and disrespect of the laws of Ghana,” he stated.

He argued that Justice Torkornoo’s conduct vindicated his earlier position that she lacked the maturity and temperament required for the nation’s highest judicial office.

“She is proving me right that she wasn’t mature enough to have been appointed to fill the vacancy of the high office of Chief Justice. A former Chief Justice ought not to do that. Now that she is doing it, she is proving me right when, in October last year, I said that her body language alone rendered her unfit to hold the position of Chief Justice,” he said.

Mr. Ansa-Asare urged the President to take into account both temperament and emotional maturity when making future appointments to the position of Chief Justice.

“This must go to our President — whenever they are making nominations, they have to take the person’s maturity and temperament as factors into account,” he added.

Justice Torkornoo was removed from office on September 1, 2025, by President John Dramani Mahama, acting on the recommendations of the Pwamang Committee constituted under Article 146.

The committee found her guilty of misconduct, including the misuse of public funds and breaches of constitutional provisions, after consultations with the Council of State.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee is scheduled to take place in the coming days despite the former Chief Justice’s latest court challenge.