By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Sept. 2, GNA- Mr Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, a former Deputy Attorney-General has warned that the removal of the Chief Justice from office can open the door to politically motivated attacks on the office of the Chief Justice.
He said the removal of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, the Chief Justice from Office has far-reaching consequences moving into the future
Mr Tuah-Yeboah was reacting to President John Dramani Mahama’s removal from office as the Chief Justice.
President Mahama on Monday September 1, 2025, removed Justice Sackey Torkonoo from office with immediate effect, in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.
This follows receipt of the report of the Committee constituted under Article 146(6) to inquire into a petition submitted by Mr Daniel Ofori, a Ghanaian citizen.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President, Minister, Government Communications, said this was after considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office.
It said under Article 146(9), the President was required to act in accordance with the committee’s recommendation.
On Monday, September 1, 2025, the President received the report of the Article 146 Committee of Inquiry into petitions for the removal of the Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
Chief Justice Sackey Torkornoo was removed from office on September 1, 2025, by President Mahama, following a recommendation by a Committee set up under Article 146 of the Constitution.
The Committee found that allegations of stated misbehaviour contained in a petition by Mr Ofori had been proven.
Mr Tuah-Yeboah said this when.to buttress the point that whoever fits in as a Chief Justice henceforth should also be thinking about the future implications.
“If you sit in that office, the possibility of flimsy petitions being used to remove you is very high,” he added.
The former Deputy Attorney-General said he was not surprised the removal was in fulfilment of a campaign promise made by the National Democratic Congress.
“This is a clear case where a political actor, before elections, campaigned on the promise to remove a Chief Justice; upon assuming office, had some people file for the removal, and today the result,” he said.
Mr Kwaku Ansa-Asare, a former Director of Ghana School of Law, said “l expected this outcome,” adding that the verdict was in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee.
He said once the Committee had recommended the removal of the Chief Justice, the President had no choice but to perform his Constitutional obligation to remove the Chief Justice.
“There is no alternative and he cannot do otherwise,” he said.
He cautioned that the swiftness with which the President had acted upon the recommendation of the Committee should not be misconstrued as suggesting that it was a foregone conclusion.
“We all know that the President made a campaign promise to reset the agenda. But it doesn’t actually mean, therefore, that the President had a mindset to remove the sitting Chief Justice or incumbent Chief Justice,” he said.
GNA
2 Sept. 2025
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong