By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, June 07, GNA – Parliament on Wednesday by consensus approved the nomination of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo as the 15th Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.
Justice Torkornoo’s approval by Parliament makes her the third female Chief Justice of the country after Justice Georgina Theodora Woode and Justice Sophia Akuffo.
The approval of Justice Torkornoo was after she was vetted by the Appointment’s Committee of Parliament on Friday, May 26, 2023.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Torkornoo, a Justice of the Supreme Court, as the next Chief Justice of Ghana.
Sixty-year-old Justice Torkornoo had been on the Supreme Court for the past four years and a member of the Judiciary for the past 19 years.
Justice Torkornoo‘s appointment came after President Akufo-Addo had consulted the Council of State and her nomination was in fulfilment of Article 144 (I) of the Constitution which governs the appointment of a Chief Justice.
Article 144 (1) of the Constitution required the President to consult the Council of State before seeking the approval of Parliament of the new Chief Justice.
“Consequently, I am nominating Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo, a member of the Supreme Court, as the New Chief Justice. I hereby enclose a copy of her Curriculum vitae for your attention” the President in a letter to the Council of State said.
The letter said her nomination was to avoid any vacuum that would occur following the retirement of Chief Justice Anin Yeboah who attained the age of 70 on May 24, this year.
Moving the Motion for the House to Adopt the 31st report of the Appointments Committee on the floor of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, Chairman of the Committee said the Committee by consensus recommended the approval of the nomination of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo for the appointment as Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.
He said the Committee under the provisions in Article 144 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Order 172 (2) considered the President’s nominee.
“Mr Speaker, the nominee showed character, competence and dexterity in the knowledge of the law. She pledged to interpret the law without fear or favour if approved as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana,” he said.
Seconding the Motion, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minority Chief Whip, expressed concerns on the nominee’s views on citizenship during her vetting process.
He explained her stance would lead to the miscarriage of justice for the citizenry and needed to be reversed.
Contributing to the debate, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, a National Democratic Congress (NDC), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, congratulated Justice Torkornoo for her elevation and urged her to administer justice without fear or favour by giving proper attention to Article 158 of the 1992 Constitution and do good to the Judiciary service and workers.
“Mr Speaker, Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo’s promotion to the Supreme Court is a natural progression for her as a woman,” he said.
On his part, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, New Patriotic Party (NPP), MP for Abuakwa South, said the modelling of having female Chief Justice was good for the country. Adding “When you create the space for women to flourish, they can become the best and the case of the Supreme Court can attest to it,” he said.
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, an NDC MP for Techiman North and Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, an NPP MP for Ablekuma West, hailed the feat of the nominee and urged her to excel at her new role by breaking the barriers of being a woman as her two women predecessors.
GNA