Former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo is expected to file a legal challenge at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn her recent removal from office.
Torkornoo, who was appointed as Chief Justice in 2023, was dismissed after a five-member committee, established as Article 146 requires, chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, found prima facie evidence against her.
The committee found her guilty of financial misconduct after it emerged that she had charged the Judicial Service for private trips in 2023, including a trip to Tanzania with her husband and another to the United States with her daughter.
Under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, the removal of a Chief Justice is one of the most solemn and consequential procedures imaginable. It begins with petitions submitted to the President. In this case, three petitions were lodged.
The President, by law, was required to determine whether they disclosed a prima facie case.
The report flagged the payment of per diem allowances to family members as “a reckless dissipation of public funds” and “unjustifiable” in law or policy.
The decision has sparked heated debate within the legal community, with some arguing that due process was not fully observed in her removal.
In her writ, Torkornoo contends that her dismissal violates constitutional safeguards meant to protect the independence of the judiciary.
She maintained that her removal did not follow the proper procedures outlined in the 1992 Constitution, which requires the involvement of both the Judicial Council and a committee of inquiry before a sitting Chief Justice can be lawfully removed.
Her lawyers argued that bypassing these mechanisms undermines judicial independence and sets a dangerous precedent.
According to her lead counsel and former Attorney-General, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, the former Chief Justice has been treated unfairly and deserves an opportunity to clear her name.
In an interview on Saturday, September 6, 2026, he said “This is an option we are looking for to get the records straight. When Dr. Danquah went to court to talk about Re and Akoto, and that there was the abuse of a fundamental human right, people did not take him seriously. But today, people are praising him for having fought that good fight. So, we will go to court at the right time.”
The case, if filed at the court, is expected to test the balance of power between the executive and judiciary at a time of growing political tension.
