Latest news with #GertrudeTorkornoo
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Stop process to remove me' - Ghana suspended chief Justice tell Supreme Court
Di drama for di suspended chief justice of Ghana no dey end anytime soon. Dis na afta she don go di Supreme Court to stop di presidential committee wia dey investigate five petitions against her. President John Mahama on 22 April bin suspend Justice Gertrude Torkornoo according to di constitution when di council of state bin find "prima facie" case against her for di petitions wia pipo don file to di president against her. Na so im go ahead to select five-member committee to begin to investigate di suspended Chief Justice; in fact di committee already don start dia hearings, as dem dey sit three times every week. According to di kontri constitution for Article 146, dis kain hearing of cases against di chief justice and oda ogbonge officials, gatz to be behind closed doors. But inside di fresh suit wia Justice Gertrude Torkornoo don file for di Supreme Court against di process to remove her, she tok say she wan make dis committee hearing dey for di public. Dis na di third suit wia pipo don file for di supreme court to stop di process to remove di chief justice, since she bin chop suspension, afta di council of state find say di three petitions (later become five), get questions wia di chief justice gat to answer. Even tho di constitution dey clear about di process wia petitions to remove di chief justice gatz to go thru, opposition lawyers and oda pipo don go di supreme court to stop di process wey dey in motion now. Wetin be di process to remove di chief Justice According to Ghana constitution, to remove di chief Justice, di process dey clear. Someone gat to write petition to di president to explain why dem suppose sack di chief Justice. Afta dem write di petition, dis na di tins wey get to happun. Dis na di tins she dey demand from di Supreme Court On 6 May, di Supreme Court for dia 3-2 majority decision throway one injunction application wia one opposition lawmaker Vincent Ekow Assafuah, bin file against di removal process. Di lawmaker try to get di court to stop di process wia dem describe as "illegal." Na so for 21 May, di Supreme Court again for majority 4-1 decision, throway anoda injunction application by one interest group against di process to remove di chief justice so far. But few hours afta di Supreme Court dismiss di latest application, di suspended chief justice herself carry di mata go di same Supreme Court. Justice Gertrude Torkornoo now bin sue di attorney general and di five members of di panel wia dey investigate di five petitions against her. Pipo kwesion why di former Attorney general na lawyer to di suspended chief justice Sabi pipo kwesion why di former attorney general na lawyer for suspended chief justice for dis mata Former director for di Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare bin tok say di suspended chief justice im attempt to stop di removal process as "unconstitutional." "Di move by di suspended CJ don dey undermine di constitution," wia im also bin accuse Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and her legal team say dem "dey try to scata lawful process." Im add say "president Mahama no breach any law for di process to remove di chief justice so far, so e go dey difficult for any pesin to stop di process." Oda sabi pipo bin tok say for di former attorney general, to be di lawyer for di chief justice don mean say wetin pipo tok say di former goment bin dey get favourable decisions for di Supreme Court wit di suspended chief justice, na true. Oga Kwaku Ansa -Asare also bin tok say "for di former attorney general Godfred Dame, to involve im serf for dis chief justice case, especially when im dey part of di process to appoint her in 2023, don dey make di mata worse." Oga Ansa-Asare tok local radio network JoyFM say di former attorney general im involvement for dis chief justice mata don dey create bad optics for di suspended CJ, especially as dem appoint her during di time im (Godfred Dame) be attorney general wia im be di former president Nana Akufo-Addo im legal advisor. But di former attorney general Godfred Dame respond say im decide to take up dis case sake of e dey in line wit im commitment to "upholding di rule of law." Im tok say dia legal mata for di Supreme Court na about "procedural irregularities" for di suspension process, e neva be about personal allegiance. Im tok say im action na to fight for di "independence of di kontris judiciary." "Time don reach say good men for dis kontri gatz to speak up for di right tin. One attorney general wia don stand up for di judiciary wia speak against attack on di judiciary, na me." Oga Godfred Dame add say "wetin dey happun be wrong, we gatz to correct am. Time don reach say we go do di proper tins for dis kontri. We no fit to let pipo mislead di public wia we neva go correct am." Di Supreme Court go soon hear di latest injunction application by di suspended chief justice. While dat dey go on; di 5-member panel already begin dia investigations wey dem dey hear from di CJ Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and di pipo wia bin file di separate petitions against her. Dem dey sit "behind closed doors" three times a week. Di goment say dem dey expect di panel to finish dia work soon, to settle dis mata once and for all, whether dem go find di suspended CJ guilty or not, na time to tell.
Washington Post
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Ghana's president suspends the chief justice of the country's top court in a surprise move
ACCRA, Ghana — The president of Ghana has suspended the chief justice of the country's Supreme Court, the government said, days after an investigation was launched against her. The surprise move drew outrage from the opposition. The announcement from Ghanian President John Mahama about the suspension of Judge Gertrude Torkornoo came in a press statement on Tuesday that offered no details or explanation.
Bloomberg
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Ghana's President Suspends Country's Top Judge Pending Probe
Ghanaian President John Mahama has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo after receiving three petitions calling for her removal from office. Mahama has appointed a committee to study the petitions and provide recommendations, Minister of Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu said in a statement Tuesday.
Straits Times
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
President Mahama suspends Ghana's chief justice, statement says
Ghana's President-elect John Dramani Mahama takes the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony for his second term, led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo at the Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo ACCRA - Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo with immediate effect and initiated an investigation in response to three petitions filed against her, a statement said. After consultations with the Council of State, the president "determined that a prima facie case has been established," and a committee has been set up to look at the petitions, according to the statement from his office. The statement did not give details of the accusations in each petition. Ghana's presidential office could not be immediately reached for further comments. Chief Justice Torkornoo, Ghana's third female justice, was nominated by former president Nana Akufo-Addo and has held the position since June 2023. Justice Torkornoo survived a removal request earlier this year when President Akufo-Addo said a petition to have her removed from the bench had "several deficiencies. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
