Executive Secretary of the National Interest Movement, Dr. Susan Adu-Amankwah, has said the removed Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, was ousted as head of the Judiciary by her own deeds.
According to Dr. Adu-Amankwah, even if Madam Torkornoo was removed based on politics, it is something she started that has come back to haunt her.
According to her, no law has been broken regarding the dismissal of the Chief Justice and the processes that guided the development. “The issue is, no laws have been broken; nothing untoward has happened.”
“But we all understand that even if there’s politics involved, it seems like ‘we didn’t like her politics,’ which some of us had concerns about. She played politics, and the politics has removed her. It’s as simple as that. She was very political, and the politics has removed her,” she said on the Big Issue segment on TV3 on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Then Chief Justice Torkornoo filed a suit at the ECOWAS Court following her suspension by President John Dramani Mahama, which was carried out according to the 1992 Constitution, after a prima facie case was established in the three separate petitions that sought her removal.
Her suit at the ECOWAS Court sought a series of declarations and orders, fundamentally challenging the legitimacy of her suspension and the constitutional process that was ongoing for her removal from office.
Justice Torkornoo’s suit further asserted that her suspension by the President on April 22, 2025, constituted a grave violation of her fundamental human rights as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Many have raised concerns over the Court’s jurisdiction over the affairs of a sovereign state like Ghana. But commenting on it, Dr. Adu-Amankwah noted that: “As long as Ghana has ratified the ECOWAS treaty and is a member state, the court has jurisdiction in terms of human rights violations.”
“And if you go through the Article on human rights violations, suffice it to say that as long as you’ve claimed your rights have been violated, they will listen to you as long as you’re able to prove it. So it’s okay that she goes there.”
She, however, indicated that the outcome of her suit – whether the country will go by it or otherwise – is a different matter.
“Whether we will adhere to the protocol and whatever comes out of there, entertain and say we’ll pay is a totally different thing.”
The Chief Justice was dismissed by the President on Monday, September 1, 2025. This followed the presentation of a report to him by the Committee tasked with investigating three petitions for her removal submitted by separate entities.
In a statement issued by the Minister in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Monday, September 1, 2025, it was stated that the President acted in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.
According to the statement, the Chief Justice’s removal was based on a petition by Samuel Ofori, which was investigated by the Committee constituted in accordance with Article 146(6).
“After considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office,” portions of the statement contained.
The Committee was constituted after a prima facie case was determined in the three separate petitions that sought the removal of the Chief Justice from office. In line with constitutional requirements, President Mahama constituted a five-member committee to conduct the inquiry.
The committee was chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang of the Supreme Court. Other members included Daniel Yaw Domelevo, a former Auditor-General; Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF); and Professor James Sefah Dzisah, Associate Professor at the University of Ghana.
Prior to the commencement of the inquiry, the President, on April 22, 2025, suspended the Chief Justice after the prima facie case was determined from the three separate petitions, as enshrined in the Constitution.
Her suspension, carried out in line with Article 146(6) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, was done in consultation with the Council of State.
Subsequently, a five-member committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang was appointed by the President to investigate the allegations.
Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, after presenting the report to the President outlined what their mandate was.
“To the committee, our mandate and remit as set out under Article 146 Clauses (7) and (8) of the Constitution is clear and it is to inquire into the petitions in camera, hear the person against whom the petitions have been brought in her defence by herself or by a lawyer or other expert of her choice and then to make a recommendation to the President.”
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