The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed all four suits challenging the constitutional process that led to the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, bringing to an end month of legal battles over one of Ghana’s most closely watched judicial controversies.
On Thursday, July 2, a seven-member panel of the highest court delivered its verdict, upholding the legality of the proceedings that culminated in Justice Torkornoo’s ousting from office. The court’s decision marks a definitive conclusion to a heated national debate and affirms the procedures followed in the removal process.
The four separate legal challenges came from various parties, including the former Chief Justice herself, Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems, and Theodore Kofi Atta Quartey. Each sought constitutional interpretations regarding the suspension and removal of a Chief Justice, arguing that due process had not been observed and that certain aspects of the removal procedure violated the 1992 Constitution.
Justice Torkornoo was removed following a suspension by President John Dramani Mahama, after which a committee of inquiry was established under Article 146 of the Constitution to investigate petitions filed against her. The process triggered spirited public debate, with legal experts, civil society groups, and political parties expressing divergent views about its implications for judicial independence and constitutional governance.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, all domestic legal challenges to Justice Torkornoo’s removal have now been dismissed. This decision follows closely on the heels of a similar outcome at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, which also rejected Justice Torkornoo’s claims that her rights had been violated during the suspension and removal process, further bolstering the state’s legal position.
Legal observers are now awaiting the Supreme Court’s full judgment, which is expected to provide comprehensive reasoning behind the ruling and set an important precedent for future cases involving the removal of high constitutional officeholders in Ghana.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com