President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo.
The President, after thorough consultations with the Council of State, concluded that the petition, filed by Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, lacked merit and did not disclose a prima facie case warranting further investigation.
The petition accused Chief Justice Torkornoo of misconduct and incompetence, citing alleged panel reconstitution, issuance of practice directions, and constitutional breaches.
On December 17 2024, Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, a citizen of Ghana, petitioned President Akufo-Addo for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo for alleged misbehaviour and incompetence.
The petitioner, in a letter dated December 17, noted that “The legal basis of my petition is Article 146 (1) of the 1992 constitution of the republic of Ghana [the constitution]. For the avoidance of doubt, my petition focuses on stated misbehaviour and incompetence related to the Chief Justice’s administrative functions as head of the judiciary responsible for its supervision and administration under article 125 (4) of the constitution.”
“I, therefore, petition the President to initiate proceedings to remove the CJ from office to uphold the Constitution, maintain the integrity of the Judiciary and restore public confidence in our judicial system,” the petitioner said.
The petitioner alleged that the Chief Justice’s request for the appointment of some five judges to the Supreme Court was done in brazen violation of the constitutional rules for the appointment of Justices of the Supreme Court, amounted to an abuse of her office, and was done without fair and/or reasonable criteria.
