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President John Dramani Mahama has removed Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office after a constitutional committee of inquiry found her culpable of stated misbehavior.
The removal, which took immediate effect on Monday, was carried out in line with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution, which obliges the President to act in accordance with the recommendation of a judicial committee once a finding of misconduct is established.
The five-member committee, chaired by Justice Gabriel Pwamang of the Supreme Court, was constituted under Article 146(6) to investigate a petition lodged by a Ghanaian citizen, Mr. Daniel Ofori. The petition, submitted earlier this year, alleged acts of misconduct by the Chief Justice under Article 146(1).
After months of closed-door proceedings, the committee concluded that sufficient grounds of stated misbehavior had been proven against the Chief Justice, and therefore recommended her removal from office.
The decision was formally communicated in a statement signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister for Government Communications and Spokesperson to the President. The statement emphasized that the President’s action was not discretionary but a constitutional duty flowing from the committee’s findings.
The removal of a sitting Chief Justice is an extraordinary development in Ghana’s judicial history and is expected to have significant implications for the judiciary and the broader governance framework. Legal experts note that while the process is rare, it reinforces the constitutional checks and balances designed to safeguard accountability at the highest levels of public office.
No immediate announcement has been made regarding the appointment of a new Chief Justice to fill the vacancy created by Justice Torkornoo’s exit.
