The ECOWAS Community Court has dismissed all seven claims filed by former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, against the Republic of Ghana, according to Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai. …
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has dismissed all seven claims filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo against the Republic of Ghana, according to Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai. …
… Her decision to resign followed a well-publicised constitutional question which arose in August 2025, when the Council of State voted on the recommendation to remove then-Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, following three misconduct petitions referred to it by the president. …
… Consider recent events: petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo were referred to the Council of State while former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo served on the Council and chaired its Legal, Constitutional Affairs and Petitions Committee. …
People's Forum raises judicial independence concerns over Chief Justice
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·Joy Online
… Responding to suggestions that former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo could be considered, he rejected the idea, saying that her removal from office disqualifies her from being regarded as a former Chief Justice for constitutional purposes. …
… nduct once on the Council, Ansa-Asare said the former Chief Justice — whom he described as principled — may have been placed in an impossible position by the backlash she received after appearing before the Article 146 committee investigating then Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo …
… Having opposed the dismissal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo whose ouster took place in September 2025, same year she is said to have walked out of the Council, her principles stand prominent and unwavering. …
… When the Council of State voted in April 2025 on whether a prima facie case had been established against then Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, 30 out of 31 members voted in favour. …
… Other cases he mentioned included Alfred Kumi, who petitioned the President over the conduct of members of the committee investigating Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo; Rev. …
The ECOWAS Community Court has dismissed all seven claims filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo against the Republic of Ghana, rejecting her allegations and her request for US$10 million in damages. The court ruled that Ghana did not violate any of the applicant's rights under the African Charter.
Why it matters
ECOWAS Court's complete dismissal of former Chief Justice's claims against Ghana resolves a high-profile accountability dispute.
The ECOWAS Community Court has dismissed all seven claims filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo against the Republic of Ghana, rejecting her allegations and her request for US$10 million in damages. The court ruled that Ghana did not violate any of the applicant's rights under the African Charter.
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has dismissed all seven claims filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo against Ghana, including her challenge to her suspension and removal from office. The court also declined to award the US$10 million in damages she sought, finding that Ghana had not violated any of her rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo resigned from Ghana's Council of State in September 2025, but President Mahama did not confirm acceptance until June 2026, raising constitutional questions about the delay. Her resignation followed an August 2025 Council vote on removing Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, in which Akuffo abstained as the sole dissenting voice.
An opinion piece argues that the quiet resignation of former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo from Ghana's Council of State, announced only months later through media reports, represents a democratic accountability gap: while Council appointments are publicly announced, resignations have been treated as private matters, preventing citizens from knowing whether the constitutional body operates with vacancies or delayed replacements.
Former Director of the Ghana School of Law Kwaku Ansa-Asare has criticised the Council of State's composition as overwhelmingly partisan, arguing that members cannot freely express independent opinions and suggesting this may have contributed to recent high-profile resignations, including former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo's departure.
Legal academic Kwaku Ansa-Asare has argued that former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo's appointment to the Council of State was constitutionally flawed because it bypassed a more senior and constitutionally appropriate retired Chief Justice. He also criticized the government for delaying the public announcement of Akuffo's resignation until after it leaked to media.
Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, a former Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, has argued that the NDC government removed Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo on weak grounds, contending that such a significant constitutional action requires strong, credible and compelling evidence to protect judicial independence.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has resigned from Ghana's Council of State, having submitted her resignation last year and ceased attending meetings since then. Her resignation follows a period in which she became central to a judicial crisis involving then Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, abstaining on a Council vote and later testifying in Torkornoo's defence.
The Chairman of the NPP's Communications Committee has called on President Mahama to halt what he describes as a "creeping culture of silence," arguing that speech-related matters should be addressed through civil remedies rather than criminal prosecution. He cited several recent arrests of individuals linked to political commentary or public criticism, maintaining they do not meet the threshold for sedition offences.
The New Patriotic Party has petitioned Ghana's diplomatic community alleging that the Mahama administration is weaponising state institutions against political opponents, journalists, and critics, warning that the country is returning to a "culture of silence" through fear and politically motivated prosecutions.