Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tameklo has said that the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo are fully grounded in Ghana’s constitution.
He therefore described calls by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) on government to reconsider her suspension as misplaced and legally weak.
Reacting to the Bar President’s suggestion that the process sets a “bad precedent,” Tameklo insisted that nothing unconstitutional has taken place.
“In fact, the 1992 Constitution anticipated the possibility that a Chief Justice could one day be accused of misconduct,” he said.
“Are we now saying those provisions are bad?” He quizzed.
Tameklo explained that the suspension was necessary, especially since Judicial Service staff are testifying in the inquiry. “How can people testify freely against their boss if she remains in office?” he asked.
He also challenged the GBA to back its claims with legal action if it believes the process is unconstitutional.
“This invitation to President Mahama to reverse a constitutionally guided process is an invitation to violate the law and that must be declined,” he said.
According to him, the Chief Justice is being represented by a capable legal team led by Senior Counsel Ayikoi Otoo, and the evidence will speak for itself through cross-examination.
“If the case lacks merit, it will become obvious to everyone,” he added.
He took a swipe at the GBA, accusing it of applying selective judgment in its interventions depending on the government in power.
Tameklo said the GBA’s silence during some administrations and vocal activism during others suggests a troubling inconsistency.
Citing the 1995 Ghana Bar Association v. Attorney General case, he recalled how the GBA once bypassed constitutional procedures to seek the removal of a Supreme Court judge through a court action rather than the Article 146 process.
“The Supreme Court described their approach then as most unfortunate and likely to undermine the rule of law,” he, reading directly from the court’s judgment.
He also referenced how the GBA challenged former President Mahama’s appointment of Justices Pwamang and Yaw Appau to the Supreme Court, yet remained silent when President Akuffo-Addo removed then-EC Chair Charlotte Osei and her deputies using the same constitutional provision.
“Where was the outrage then? Was that not a ‘bad precedent’ too?” he questioned, suggesting that the GBA’s recent commentary on the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo reeks of political selectivity rather than legal consistency.
