GBA questions fairness in Chief Justice Torkornoo’s removal process

The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Efua Ghartey, has voiced strong reservations about the circumstances surrounding the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama.

Speaking at the GBA’s Annual General Conference in Wa on Monday, September 15, 2025, Ms. Ghartey said the development has exposed serious gaps in the constitutional process under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

She acknowledged that the Constitution allows for the removal of superior court judges, but argued that the absence of well-defined procedural rules creates a risk of arbitrariness.

Ms. Ghartey recalled that on April 30, 2025, the Association had passed a resolution urging Parliament to enact clear and comprehensive regulations to guide impeachment or removal proceedings against superior court justices. Despite this, she noted, no such rules exist.

“The lack of an enactment for such rules in the case of the removal of the 4th-highest person in the nation should be a matter of concern for all of us. These rules should have been known to all and sundry before the commencement of the process, as it greatly affects the standard to be met."

Emphasising the principle of equal access to justice, the GBA President stressed that fairness should not depend on social, political, or economic status.