Private legal practitioner and Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, Abraham Amaliba, has raised alarm over what he believes is an attempt to erase the legacy of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from Ghana’s judicial history.
Speaking on Joy Prime on Saturday, October 18, Mr. Amaliba disclosed that during a recent visit to the Supreme Court’s conference room, he was surprised to find that Justice Torkornoo’s portrait was missing from the wall displaying photographs of past Chief Justices.
“I was at the Supreme Court in the conference room of the Chief Justice, and I saw all the justices’ pictures on the wall, and her picture was missing,” he said. “What happened to her has the effect of saying that she never existed as a Chief Justice.”
The revelation comes amid ongoing legal proceedings initiated by Justice Torkornoo, who is contesting her removal from office by President John Mahama on September 1, 2025.
Her dismissal followed recommendations from a committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, which found her guilty of misconduct, financial irregularities, and breaches of constitutional duties.
Justice Torkornoo, however, has filed multiple suits at the High Court, arguing that the process leading to her removal was unconstitutional and procedurally unfair. She is also seeking an injunction to stop the vetting and appointment of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who has been nominated as her replacement.
In her filings, the former Chief Justice is further demanding that the state honour all her salary, benefits, and entitlements up to the date of her removal.
Mr. Amaliba described the missing portrait as symbolically troubling, warning that it could be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to rewrite judicial history.
“Whether one agrees or disagrees with her removal, she served as Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, and her image should remain on that wall,” he stressed.
The case challenging Justice Torkornoo’s removal is yet to be heard, but it has already sparked public debate about judicial independence, accountability, and institutional memory within Ghana’s judiciary.
