The Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has dismissed an application filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Sackey Torkornoo, who sought interim measures following her removal from office.

The former Chief Justice’s application requested the suspension of the ongoing removal process and her reinstatement with full entitlements while her human rights case proceeds.

According to updates from the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, that Torkornoo’s application for interim measures “did not satisfy the criteria for a grant of interim measures.”

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Quoting the court directly, Dr Srem-Sai in Facebook post stated that Torkornoo’s conduct does not support her claim of irreparable harm arising from the removal process and the Justice Pwamang Committee probe.

He added that the judges noted that, despite being suspended on April 22, 2025, and fully aware of the ongoing processes, she waited three months before filing her motion.

He wrote, “The ECOWAS Court has, this morning, dismissed Mrs Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s application for interim measures. The Court stated that the application did not satisfy the criteria for a grant of interim measures. More particularly, the Court held that:

‘The Applicant’s own conduct defeats her claim of imminent and irreparable harm. The Court is, therefore, satisfied that the Applicant has not demonstrated the existence of imminent or exceptional circumstance that will justify the urgency of the application filed almost 3 months after the act complained of.

‘In the light of the Applicant’s failure to meet the requirement of urgency, the Court finds no basis to assess the remaining criteria for provisional measures, same being cumulative. The request for provisional measures as outlined by the Applicant, same not substantiated, is therefore dismissed,’” Dr Srem-Sai explained.

The ruling followed the State’s argument that the ECOWAS Court lacked jurisdiction because the matter involved constitutional issues already decided by Ghana’s Supreme Court.

However, the Court dismissed this objection, ruling that Torkornoo’s application fell within its human rights jurisdiction. While the substantive human rights case will continue, the Court refused to halt her removal or reinstate her during the proceedings.

Background

According to an earlier report by GhanaWeb on July 9, 2025, Justice Torkornoo filed two applications at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice against the Government.

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The report indicated that the applications, a main application and a motion for provisional measures, were filed and received at the registry of the Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday, July 4, 2025, by Femi Falana SAN of Falana & Falana Chambers in Nigeria, acting on behalf of the suspended Chief Justice.

In the application, Justice Torkornoo contended that her right to a fair hearing, guaranteed by both the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and the 1991 Protocol of the Community Court of Justice, had been blatantly disregarded in the processes leading to her removal.



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