Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and ordered an investigation into three petitions lodged against her, the president’s office has confirmed in a statement.
The suspension follows after the President, having consulted the Council of State, concluded that a prima facie case against Torkornoo existed. Subsequently, there has been formed a committee that will go through the charges enumerated in the petitions, though no details about what the allegations contain have been provided.
Torkornoo, who was named Chief Justice by former President Nana Akufo-Addo in June 2023, is Ghana’s third female chief justice. This is not the first time she has come under fire, having previously weathered a request for her removal earlier this year when Akufo-Addo threw out a petition to remove her due to a number of shortcomings.
The inquiry into Torkornoo’s behavior will be watched intently, as it questions the impartiality of Ghana’s judiciary.
