The Ghana Voice,
Accra, Ghana
President Mahama Removes Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from Office
The Ghana Voice 01-09-2025President John Dramani Mahama has, with immediate effect, removed Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office, following the recommendations of a constitutional committee set up to investigate petitions against her.
A statement issued by the Presidency on Monday and signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, confirmed the development.
The decision, the statement noted, was taken in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution after the President received the report of a five-member committee constituted under Article 146(6) to inquire into a petition submitted by a Ghanaian citizen, Mr. Daniel Ofori.
The committee, chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang of the Supreme Court, examined the petition and accompanying evidence before concluding that the Chief Justice had engaged in stated misbehavior under Article 146(1) of the Constitution. It subsequently recommended her removal from office.
“After considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office,” the statement read.
Under Article 146(9), the President is constitutionally bound to act in accordance with the committee’s recommendations.
Chief Justice Torkornoo’s removal marks a historic moment, as she becomes the second Chief Justice in Ghana’s Fourth Republic to be removed through this constitutional process.
Her departure sets the stage for President Mahama, in consultation with the Council of State, to nominate a new Chief Justice for the approval of Parliament.
The development follows months of legal and political controversy surrounding her suspension and the petitions challenging her conduct, which have sharply divided public opinion and sparked heated debates over judicial independence and accountability.