Ghana: Chief Justice dismissed after investigators recommend removal

The Chief Justice of Ghana has been removed from office by the country’s president, according to BBC News on September 2.

Gertrude Torkornoo served as the third Ghanaian Chief Justice in the nation’s history. Ms Torkornoo received various complaints against her before the country’s president, John Mahama, instated a 5-member investigative committee to examine the veracity of the allegations.

The allegations were brought forward by 3 petitioning individuals before her suspension in April.

The presidency confirmed in late August that she had been removed after the commission found complaints of misbehaviour “had been established” and the commission had “recommended her removal from office.”

By law, the Presidency is required to act in accordance with the recommendations of the commission.

Investigators examined over 10,000 pages of evidence from 13 witnesses testifying in support of one of the petitioners, Daniel Ofori. Ms Torkornoo- who also had the right to testify before the committee- further brought 12 witnesses, including experts.

Appointed by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Gertrude Torkornoo has become the first Chief Justice to be dismissed from office.

What makes the moment more significant is the security of the office, which the Chief Justice is afforded in Ghana. Only under a few circumstances can they be dismissed, with incompetence and misbehaviour being among them.

With the suspension being opposed by the opposition New Patriotic Party in April, what followed were several unsuccessful lawsuits appealing the decision, citing an attempt to undermine judicial independence and calling the move a ‘political witch hunt.’

This latest political moment comes mere weeks after Ghana suffered another tragedy, with several government ministers dying in a helicopter crash.

However, the dismissal seems to have been long in the making, with Ms Torkornoo surviving a previous attempt to remover her from the then opposition party National Democratic Congress, who now rule under President John Mahama.

The attempted was dismissed by then President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, who found the complaint of bias in some of her rulings contained ‘several deficiencies.’

The new government has already experienced much political upheaval since being elected, with the Trump Administration’s decision to cut USAID leading to massive shortages across the government budget. Now, President Mahama, who was successfully re-elected in December 2024 and no longer in opposition, has been strongly criticised for his decision to remove Ms Torkornoo from office.

“The petition that I read showed no proper grounds to warrant her removal,” said former attorney general Alfred Tuah-Yeboah. “If the threshold is what we read in the petition, then I fear for the future of the judiciary.”

BBC News plus agencies, Maghrebi.org