25/06/2025
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●Suspended CJ Gertrude Torkornoo refuses to resign, calls removal process ‘cruel’ and unconstitutional●
Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has publicly stated she will not resign or retire while facing unprecedented removal proceedings, asserting that doing so would legitimise an "unconstitutional" and "cruel" process.
On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, addressed the nation from Accra with a firm declaration: she will not step down or retire while the proceedings to remove her are still ongoing.
She described the process not only as unprecedented in the country’s history but also as fundamentally flawed and illegal.
Justice Torkornoo made it clear that resigning now would amount to endorsing what she called “cruel treatment” being directed at her. “Resigning or retiring is not an option, once the suspension claims and process has begun,” she said, emphasizing that doing so would mean surrendering to an unconstitutional process and losing all the entitlements she believes she is due—without the opportunity to defend herself against what she continues to call “false claims.”
Chief Justice Torkornoo was appointed to the Supreme Court in November 2019 and became Chief Justice on June 12, 2023.
Her suspension under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution followed multiple petitions challenging her judicial decisions, administrative actions, and alleged misuse of travel-related funds—allegations she has strongly denied, submitting evidence in response.
President John Dramani Mahama, after reviewing the three petitions and acting in line with Article 146(6) of the Constitution, determined that a prima facie case had been established. Following consultations with the Council of State, the President issued a warrant suspending Chief Justice Torkornoo with immediate effect on Tuesday, April 22.
: This and many more will come back years to come to hunt us when we least expect it.
