Private legal practitioner and activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has described the dismissal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo as a moment of reckoning for Ghana's judiciary, warning that the country's justice system is "not fit for purpose" and must undergo urgent reforms.

Barker-Vormawor made these remarks in a statement shared on X on September 1, 2025, following President John Dramani Mahama's announcement of Justice Torkornoo's removal.

The outspoken activist argued that the Chief Justice's dismissal should not be viewed as a victory but rather as a symbol of institutional failure.

"A chief justice has been removed. But as someone who has had a front row seat through the process, hear me clearly, when I say there is nothing to celebrate here.

2. "The removal of the Chief Justice is not a victory, but the closing act of a disappointing chapter. Araba held the highest seat of justice at a time when courage and integrity were desperately needed, yet too often her “leadership” chose silence when the people cried out for answers. She enabled mampam’s worst impulses and chose the convenience of power.

3. "Instead of standing as the guardian of our Constitution, she presided over a judiciary that slipped further into mistrust and estrangement. Fixing and removing judges as political paymasters called for.

4. "It is all the more disappointing because the office she held demanded more. The Chief Justice is meant to be the moral compass of the Republic. Yet her tenure will be remembered for opportunities missed; for moments when the Office could have been a shield for the weak, but too often became a fortress for the regime,” part of his post read.
He commended the committee that recommended her dismissal, praising its “restraint and quiet stoicism” in the face of political pressure and misinformation. However, he cautioned that the Judiciary remains plagued by systemic rot.

5. "In the midst of this, it is important that we commend the committee of her peers who, in the face of pressure and deliberate misinformation, chose duty over expedience. I am certain that their recommendation was not an easy call, but their restraint and quiet stoicism preserved the dignity of the process, despite Araba’s own best efforts to ensure the opposite.

6. "Sadly? Araba’s removal is a reminder that leadership without courage corrodes institutions from within. It is my prayer that what has fallen today is not just a person but also the lack of confidence in the idea that justice in this Republic can ever be impartial and bold.

Who becomes Ghana's next Chief Justice?

7. "May we find our path to restoring faith soon to the Judiciary before it is too late. Araba is gone, but her signature and the culture she symbolises remains stuck on every wall, like dried blood.

8. "Our Judiciary is not fit for purpose. Reform it or we will perish.

9. "Let us not sweep the cracks under the carpet. I hope the 4th Republic learns from the fate of the 1st,” he added.

In a statement signed by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the government confirmed Justice Torkornoo's dismissal in line with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.

"President John Dramani Mahama has, in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution, removed the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, from office with immediate effect," the statement read.

The decision followed recommendations from the five-member Pwamang Committee, which investigated multiple petitions filed against the Chief Justice and found grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1).

Justice Torkornoo was suspended in April 2025 after President Mahama, in consultation with the Council of State, determined there was a prima facie case against her based on three separate petitions.

Lets Talk Araba

1. A chief justice has been removed. But as someone who has had a front row seat through the process, hear me clearly, when I say there is nothing to celebrate here.

2. The removal of the Chief Justice is not a victory, but the closing act of a disappointing…

— Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor (@barkervogues) September 1, 2025