Accra, March 25, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has referred three petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo to the Council of State for consultation, in line with constitutional requirements.
A statement issued by the Spokesperson to the President, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stated that the petitions had been submitted by various individuals.
The move marks the beginning of the process outlined under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which governs the procedure for the removal of a Chief Justice.
The Council of State is expected to advise the President on the next steps as required by law.
The nature of the petitions and the specific allegations against the Chief Justice were not disclosed in the statement.
Chief Justice Torkornoo was sworn into office on June 12, 2023, succeeding Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who retired in May 2023.
Prior to her appointment as Chief Justice, Justice Torkornoo served as a Justice of the Supreme Court, having been appointed to the apex court in 2019.
She joined the Judicial Service in 2004 as one of the first Justices of the Commercial Division of the High Court.
Throughout her judicial career, she is credited with playing significant roles in judicial reforms, including serving as vice chair and later chair of the E-Justice Oversight and Implementation Committee, and as a member of the faculty and Governing Board of the Judicial Training Institute.
Justice Torkornoo is the third female Chief Justice in Ghana’s history, following Justices Georgina Theodora Wood and Sophia Akuffo.
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