The Attorney-General’s Department has mounted a legal defense against an application by former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, who is seeking to challenge her recent removal from office.
In an affidavit filed on September 23, 2025, State Attorney Reginald Nii Odoi argued that Justice Torkornoo’s bid to invoke the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court lacks merit and should be dismissed.
The Attorney-General stated that two separate petitions calling for Justice Torkornoo’s removal remain under consideration by the Article 146 committee. The affidavit emphasized that, under the Constitution, the contents of such petitions must be kept confidential until the President acts on the committee’s recommendations. The state has therefore requested the court to strike out portions of Justice Torkornoo’s affidavit which reveal details of the pending petitions, citing the protection of the in camera rule.
Addressing the substantive issue, the affidavit outlined that the office of Chief Justice is unique within Ghana’s judiciary, requiring a distinct appointment process. The removal of the Chief Justice, it argued, automatically ends her ex-officio membership of the Supreme Court and other Superior Courts. The inclusion of “Justice of the Supreme Court” in the presidential warrant of removal, the Attorney-General said, was to clarify the law and eliminate any ambiguity regarding her status.
Justice Torkornoo, who was ousted earlier this month following a citizen’s petition, contends that her removal was unconstitutional and violated her rights.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has nominated His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the next Chief Justice of Ghana. The announcement, made on Tuesday, September 23, by presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, noted that the nomination was in accordance with Article 144(1) of the 1992 Constitution. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s name has been forwarded to the Council of State for consideration.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
