Bar Council and Commonwealth Lawyers Urge Immediate Reinstatement of Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude
The Bar Council of England and Wales and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association have strongly criticised the suspension of Ghana’s Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, calling for her immediate reinstatement.
In a joint statement issued on August 14, the two legal bodies described Ghana as a country with a proud tradition of upholding the rule of law and urged President John Dramani Mahama and the Executive to reverse the April 22 suspension.
They stressed that the Chief Justice must be afforded due process in the disciplinary proceedings, including full and transparent access for her legal representatives. The groups further recommended the establishment of clear procedural rules with a definite timeframe for concluding investigations, warning that anything less would undermine judicial independence and the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney-General has filed processes at the High Court seeking to strike out a second judicial review application filed by the suspended Chief Justice. Justice Torkornoo is challenging one of the three petitions for her removal, arguing that the group behind it—the so-called Shining Stars of Ghana—is not a registered entity and its members are unknown.
Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai has dismissed her claims as baseless, insisting that they should not halt the Article 146 inquiry established to investigate the allegations of misconduct and incompetence.
The April 22 suspension, approved after a prima facie case was established, has divided Ghana’s legal and political community. While President Mahama appointed a five-member committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang to lead the inquiry, critics—including the Ghana Bar Association and civil society groups—have condemned the move as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
Justice Torkornoo has described the suspension as “arbitrary” and “cruel,” vowing not to resign. The New Patriotic Party has also warned that the action undermines democratic integrity and judicial independence.
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