President John Dramani Mahama has officially removed Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Sackey Torkornoo from office, following the conclusion of proceedings initiated under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
The decision comes after a series of petitions submitted to the Presidency earlier this year, which triggered a constitutional inquiry into the conduct of the Chief Justice. The petitions were referred to a special committee established under Article 146, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang.
The Committee, which began its work in May 2025, held sittings in camera as required by law. It heard testimony from petitioners and their witnesses, as well as a robust defence mounted by Justice Torkornoo, who appeared personally before the panel and presented supporting evidence. After months of deliberations, the Committee submitted its first report to the President last week, making a recommendation on the petitions.
While the full details of the Committee’s findings remain confidential, President Mahama’s decision to remove the Chief Justice indicates that the panel upheld at least one of the petitions brought against her.
Justice Torkornoo, who was appointed as Ghana’s 15th Chief Justice in June 2023, had previously served as a Justice of the Supreme Court. Her tenure was marked by judicial reforms and efforts to expand digitalisation in court processes, but also by controversy surrounding some high-profile cases and administrative decisions.
The removal of a Chief Justice is a rare constitutional event in Ghana, underscoring both the gravity of the allegations raised and the significance of the Committee’s recommendation. It also opens the way for President Mahama, in consultation with the Council of State and subject to parliamentary approval, to nominate a new head of the judiciary.
The Presidency is expected to announce interim arrangements for the leadership of the Judicial Service until a substantive Chief Justice is appointed.
