Reinstate Chief Justice – Minority

Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo

 

The Minority in Parliament has condemned what it describes as a “brazen judicial coup” following President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.

The group is demanding her immediate reinstatement, describing the suspension as an “unconstitutional act” aimed at manipulating the judicial system for political gain.

According to the Minority, the suspension, carried out under the purported authority of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, is a blatant abuse of executive power and a direct affront to the independence of the country’s judiciary.

“This move, taken while legitimate legal challenges are pending before the Supreme Court, reeks of intolerable political vendetta, judicial intimidation, and a calculated attempt to pack the courts with NDC-sympathetic justices,” the statement said.

The statement referenced a 2023 promise by President Mahama to “balance” the judiciary during an address in Akosombo in the Eastern Region.

The Minority contended that the President’s action is premature and legally untenable, especially as the constitutionality of the process leading to the Chief Justice’s suspension is currently under judicial review by the Supreme Court.

“It is an unpardonable affront to the rule of law,” the Minority said, likening the move to the 1963 dismissal of Chief Justice Sir Arku Korsah by then-President Kwame Nkrumah—an episode widely viewed as a historical low point in Ghana’s judicial independence.

The Minority accused President Mahama of engaging in a politically motivated witch-hunt, saying the suspension is less about justice and more about entrenching partisan control over the judiciary.

“If the President believes he can strong-arm the judiciary into submission, he must be reminded that Ghana is a constitutional democracy, not a fiefdom,” the Minority warned.

The group sternly warned the Mahama administration that its members were ready to resist what it calls a “judicial coup.”

It promised both legal and public opposition to any further efforts to remove or intimidate members of the judiciary.

“We demand the immediate reinstatement of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo pending the outcome of the Supreme Court’s ruling,” the statement stressed.

“We demand a halt to all removal proceedings until the constitutionality of the process has been fully adjudicated,” the Minority added.

The Minority called on civil society and the legal community to defend the sanctity of Ghana’s judicial system.

“The integrity of Ghana’s judiciary is non-negotiable. We shall vigorously oppose any and all attempts to turn our courts into political tools. Enough is enough,” it concluded.

By Ernest Kofi Adu

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