In a significant development, President John Dramani Mahama has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, pending the outcome of an investigation into petitions seeking her removal from office.
The suspension, made in consultation with the Council of State, is in accordance with Article 146(6) of the Constitution.
A five-member committee has been constituted to probe the allegations against the Chief Justice. The committee is chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, a Justice of the Supreme Court, and comprises Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu, also a Justice of the Supreme Court, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, a former Auditor-General, Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces, and Professor James Sefah Dzisah, an Associate Professor at the University of Ghana.
The committee’s findings will determine the next course of action. The suspension of the Chief Justice has sent shockwaves through the judicial system, sparking intense debate about the accountability and integrity of the judiciary’s leadership.
The outcome of the investigation will be closely watched, as it may have far-reaching implications for Ghana’s constitutional and judicial landscape.
Below is the full statement announcing the suspension of the Chief Justice.
