Ghana’s President Removes Chief Justice Torkornoo Following Inquiry’s Misconduct Findings
Ghana’s President, John Mahama, has removed Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from office following the recommendation of a presidentially appointed inquiry panel. The decision marks an unprecedented moment in Ghana’s judicial history.
Justice Torkornoo had been on suspension since April after three separate petitions were lodged against her by private individuals. These petitions alleged various forms of misconduct in the discharge of her judicial functions.
According to a statement from the presidency, the inquiry found that “grounds of stated misbehaviour” had been established against the Chief Justice, warranting her removal. Justice Torkornoo has, however, rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and politically motivated.
The presidency further stated that President Mahama was constitutionally obliged to act in line with the committee’s recommendations. Nonetheless, legal commentators and opposition voices have warned that the move could set a troubling precedent for judicial independence in Ghana.
The inquiry panel reportedly examined over 10,000 pages of documentary evidence and heard testimony from 13 witnesses for the lead petitioner, Daniel Ofori. Justice Torkornoo herself testified and called 12 witnesses, including expert witnesses, in her defence.
Two other petitions against the Chief Justice remain pending and were not concluded before her removal. In addition to losing her position as head of the judiciary, she has also been stripped of her seat on the Supreme Court.
The panel’s findings included allegations of unlawful expenditure of public funds on private travel. It was alleged that her spouse and daughter received public allowances during trips to Tanzania in 2023 and to the United States, both undertaken for personal purposes.
Further accusations included interference in judicial appointments by bypassing established procedures for appointing Supreme Court justices, as well as abuse of administrative powers in the transfer of a judiciary staff member.
Justice Torkornoo, Ghana’s third female Chief Justice, was appointed in 2023 by former President Nana Akufo‑Addo. She is the first sitting Chief Justice in the country’s history to be investigated and removed from office.
Under Ghana’s constitutional framework, the Chief Justice enjoys security of tenure and may only be removed on limited grounds such as incompetence or stated misbehaviour. Her legal team has dismissed the inquiry’s conclusions as lacking legal merit.
The opposition New Patriotic Party had earlier condemned her suspension, calling it a political witch‑hunt. Multiple legal challenges to the removal process were unsuccessful. Critics, including former Deputy Attorney‑General Alfred Tuah‑Yeboah, have warned that the decision risks eroding judicial independence and lowering the threshold for removal of senior judges.
William Nyarko, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Law and Accountability, has called for a review of the removal process, noting that “stated misbehaviour” is undefined in Ghanaian law, leaving room for executive overreach. He cited Kenya’s model—where the Judicial Service Commission initiates such proceedings—as a safeguard for judicial independence. Justice Torkornoo retains the right to challenge her removal in court, though prospects for success remain uncertain.
