Dr. Clement Abas Apaak
Deputy Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has responded to the United Kingdom Bar Council and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) for demanding the reinstatement of Ghana’s suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo.
In a statement, Dr. Apaak described the associations’ intervention as a “colonialist-induced insult” and warned that Ghanaians will not countenance external interference in their sovereign affairs.
“Ghanaians will not tolerate such nonsensical colonialist-induced insults, disguised as demands, from you. Never! You cannot order our President to ‘immediately and without delay reinstate the Chief Justice of Ghana….’ Such impudence!” Dr. Apaak fumed.
He emphasised that President John Dramani Mahama remains bound by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and is accountable only to the Ghanaian people, not to foreign legal bodies.
“John Dramani Mahama is the President of Ghana, an independent sovereign nation, and a Republic, for that matter. He is answerable to the people of Ghana, as mandated by our constitution, not to your associations,” he insisted.
“Ghana Is Not a Banana Republic,” the Builsa South added.
The Deputy Minister rejected suggestions that the Chief Justice’s suspension undermines the rule of law, stressing that the decision was made within the constitutional framework.
“Ghana is not a lawless banana Republic. We have laws and are governed by a constitution. Our President has at all times conducted himself lawfully in the matter you have been contracted to make your business,” Dr. Apaak said.
He questioned the motives behind the international groups’ intervention, suggesting that they had been misled by unnamed collaborators intent on discrediting Ghana’s leadership.
“It baffles me how you are strangely unhappy with lawful actions undertaken as dictated by the constitution of our nation. Your collaborators have deceived you into damaging your reputation with these baseless demands. Withdraw your unjustified statement, and apologise to Ghanaians. Be guided!” he concluded.
On April 22, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo following three petitions alleging misconduct and incompetence. After a prima facie case was established by the Council of State, the President set up a five-member inquiry panel chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang. Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was subsequently appointed Acting Chief Justice.
In response to the move, on August 14, 2025, the Bar Council of England and Wales (BCEW) and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association issued a joint statement demanding her “immediate and without delay” reinstatement. The groups warned that the suspension threatened judicial independence and risked undermining Ghana’s adherence to the rule of law.
They accused Ghana of breaching the Latimer House Principles, criticised restrictions placed on the Chief Justice’s legal team, and questioned the treatment of witnesses during the proceedings.
Justice Torkornoo has refused to resign and is challenging the suspension at the ECOWAS Court, describing the process as “arbitrary,” “cruel,” and unconstitutional. Her case is expected to become a significant test of both Ghana’s constitutional framework and the balance between domestic sovereignty and international oversight in governance.