Gertrude Torkornoo prays High Court to reverse decision to remove her as Chief Justice

She is also seeking to halt the vetting of the Chief Justice nominee, Paul Baffoe Bonnie.

In the suit, she is seeking “An order of certiorari bringing up into this court for the purpose of being quashed and for quashing, the proceedings of the 15th of May 2025 and the entire proceedings and outcomes of the Article 146 set up to consider petitions to remove the Applicant chaired by Pwamang JSC (“Pwamang Committee” “Committee”).

An order of certiorari bringing up into this court for the purpose of being quashed and for quashing, each and all of the three reasons/grounds given by the Pwamang Committee for recommending the removal of the Applicant from office as Chief Justice as stated in the letter of the Secretary to the President dated 1st September 2025.

An order of certiorari bringing up into this court for the purpose of being quashed and for quashing the Presidential Warrant dated September 1, 2025 removing Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo from office as Chief Justice and Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana.

An order prohibiting the consideration and appointment of a new substantive Chief Justice of Ghana. An order prohibiting the denial or withdrawal of the salary, benefit, courtesies and other entitlements due to the Applicant before the Warrant of Removal dated the 1st of September, 2025. Any other relief(s) the Honourable Court may deem fit to make.”

Madam Gertrude Torkornoo was removed from office by President John Dramani Mahama, a statement issued by the Minister of Government Communications on Monday, September 1, announced.

“President John Dramani Mahama has, in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution, removed the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkonoo, from office with immediate effect. This follows receipt of the report of the Committee constituted under Article 146(6) to inquire into a petition submitted by a Ghanaian citizen, Mr Daniel Ofori. 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. Under Article 146(9), the President is required to act in accordance with the committee’s recommendation,” the statement said.

This was after the president received the report of the Article 146 Committee of Inquiry set up to investigate petitions calling for the removal of Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, following the determination of a prima facie case in three separate petitions that sought the removal of the Chief Justice from office. In line with constitutional requirements, President Mahama constituted a five-member committee to conduct the inquiry.

The committee was chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang of the Supreme Court. Other members included Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo, former Auditor-General; Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF); and Professor James Sefah Dzisah, Associate Professor at the University of Ghana.

Justice Torkornoo was earlier suspended on April 22, 2025, following the establishment of a prima facie case against her after the receipt of three separate petitions. Her suspension, carried out in line with Article 146(6) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, was done in consultation with the Council of State.

Subsequently, the five-member committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang was appointed by the President to investigate the allegations.
Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, said after presenting the report to the presaisnt that “To the committee, our mandate and remit as set out under Article 146 Clauses (7) and (8) of the Constitution is clear and it is to inquire into the petitions in camera, hear the person against whom the petitions have been brought in her defence by herself or by a lawyer or other expert of her choice and then to make a recommendation to the President.”

Source: 3news.com