Ghana's suspended Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has filed a writ at the Supreme Court challenging her suspension by President John Dramani Mahama.
In a writ filed today [May 21, 2025] by her lawyer, Godfred Yeboah Dame, a former Attorney-General, Justice Torkornoo is seeking a declaration from the Supreme Court to the effect that President John Mahama‘s determination of a prima facie case against her “was arbitrary, capricious, in violation of the right of the Plaintiff to a fair trial and therefore unconstitutional, void and of no effect."
Again, she is seeking an order seeking to set aside her suspension by the President and a declaration that she has the right to the public hearing of the petitions against her.
She is seeking another declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of various provisions of the constitution, she has the privilege to waive the hearing of the petitions against her in camera.
Other reliefs being sought by Justice Torkornoo are orders prohibiting Justices Gabriel Scott Pwamang, the Chairman of the five-member committee probing the petitions, and Justice Samuel Adibu-Asiedu, a member of the committee from participating in the proceedings of the committee.
It is her case that Justice Pwamang is not qualified to be Chairman of the committee owing to the fact that he had adjudicated on a number of cases and ruled in favour of Daniel Ofori, one of the petitioners.
With regard to Justice Asiedu, it is the case of the Chief Justice that he is not qualified to be a member of the committee as he was already a member of the Supreme Court panel hearing an interlocutory injunction application against the impeachment process before being appointed to the committee.
