Suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has said her decision to speak out is not born out of a desire to hold onto her position, but from a deep responsibility to defend justice and the rule of law in Ghana.

Addressing the press on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, she clarified that her actions are not motivated by personal ambition or a fear of losing her office, but by her constitutional duty as a legal professional to call out grave violations with regards to her suspension.

“I am not seeking to claim to a title or a position, however, as a lawyer of 38 years, a judge of 21 years, and Chief Justice who has served the rule of law all my working life, since I was 25, it is my duty and obligation to speak up concerning anything that is extremely wrong with the administration of justice in this country," she noted.

Justice Torkornoo described the process for her removal as one rooted in a stated political agenda.

“This process was born out of a stated political agenda to remove me and control the judiciary,” she said, stressing that it is “a political effort that can only result in an outcome that was decided long before it started.”

She thanked all those who have shown concern for her safety and well-being but maintained that her stance is not personal.

“The situation I have been confronted with has shown me a model of injustice that I would never have thought possible if I had not been exposed to it, this is why, despite great personal discomfort, I have decided to marshal every effort in law and leadership to answer to the situation," she remarked.

Justice Torkornoo further clarified that resigning or retiring while Article 146 proceedings are underway is not an option for her or any judge, citing a Supreme Court ruling with suit number J6/02/2019.

"Again, resigning or retiring while Article 146 proceedings are being conducted to remove a judge is not an option any judge or public official can even have. There is a decided case on the matter by the Supreme Court. The suit number is J6/02/2019. Again, no one has the authority to walk away from proceedings," she noted.

Justice Torkornoo has insisted that her challenge is not just about her, but about protecting judicial independence and ensuring that future justices and heads of independent institutions can serve without fear of political retribution.

Her statement comes in the wake of a prima facie determination on three petitions filed for her removal, following which President John Dramani Mahama suspended her and appointed a five-member committee to investigate her conduct.

The Supreme Court has since unanimously dismissed her application for an interlocutory injunction against the committee.

It also struck out a supplementary affidavit she filed, citing disclosure of confidential information in violation of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which governs the removal process for superior court justices.

JKB/AE

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