On Monday, September 1, 2025, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, was formally removed from office, marking the first time a Chief Justice of Ghana had been removed from office under the Fourth Republic.
Her removal was based on recommendations from the Article 146 committee tasked to probe three petitions seeking her removal as head of Ghana’s judiciary – the third arm of government.
This committee, chaired by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, submitted its first report on September 1, 2025, and hours later, the Presidency announced that Justice Gertrude Torkornoo had been removed from office with immediate effect.
In this piece, GhanaFact presents a timeline of events leading to Justice Getrude Torkornoo’s dismissal from office.
March 25, 2025 – President receives petitions
On March 25, 2025, President John Mahama began a process that would later lead to the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. This decision came on the back of three petitions received by the presidency for the Chief Justice’s removal from office.
“President Mahama has received three petitions from various persons seeking the removal of the Chief Justice. The President has forwarded the three petitions to the Council of State to commence the consultation process mandated by Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution,” the government statement said.
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This would not be the first time a petition has been filed for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In December 2024, US-based constitutional lawyer, Professor Kweku Asare petitioned then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, requesting the removal of the Chief Justice on grounds of stated misbehaviour and incompetence. But that petition was struck down for failing to meet the prima facie test (find here).
March 27 – 28, 2025 – CJ requests petitions
Following the announcement of three petitions against her, the Chief Justice requested copies of the petitions to allow her to respond. The president obliged and gave her a 10-day deadline to submit her defense.
While the content of the petitions were not formally made public, documents alleged to be the petitions and the full responses to each of them were circulated online (find here and here).
Based on these documents in the public domain, the petitioners had stated instances in which they claimed the then Chief Justice acted incompetently or misbehaved. Some of these issues included that;
- Justice Torkornoo, on May 30, 2024, wrote a proposal to then-President Nana Akufo-Addo to appoint five judges to the Supreme Court.
- Justice Torkornoo presided over a suit to determine whether the Speaker of Parliament was in breach of natural justice over the declaration of vacant seats in Parliament.
- Justice Torkornoo made demeaning and disrespectful remarks against a court user.
- Justice Torkornoo misappropriated public funds for her private travels with her family.
- Justice Torkornoo “abused her power” over judicial staff transfers and dismissals.
The three petitions were filed by Daniel Ofori (a businessman), a group called Shining Stars, and a police official called Ayamga Yakubu Akolgo.
April 7, 2025 – CJ submits responses
According to reports, the Chief Justice response to the petitions was submitted to the presidency with copies to the Council of State on Friday, April 4, 2025 (here).
April 22, 2025 – CJ suspended, 5-member committee established
President John Mahama suspended Justice Getrude Torkornoo after a government statement said a prima facie case had been established against her. The government also formed a five-member committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang, to investigate the issues raised in the petitions.
Calls for the suspension to be revoked
Between April 16 and 29, various groups called on the government to revoke the suspension of the CJ. For instance, the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) held a press conference, a protest, and continued speaking against the removal process.
Some NPP members, including Old Tafo MP, Vincent Assafuah, filed a lawsuit against the suspension of Justice Torkornoo (here).
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and the International Federation of Women Lawyers also raised concerns, calling for transparency into the matter. The GBA, during its mid-year conference, passed a resolution calling on President Mahama to revoke the suspension (find here, here, and here).
May 5, 2025 – Protests, court processes
The NPP led a demonstration against the suspension and the removal process. It was attended by members of other political parties such as the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), the National Democratic Party (NDP), and the People’s National Party (PNP) (here and here).
Legal process, injunctions against suspension and committee’s work
On May 6, 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed the challenge brought by Old Tafo MP, Vincent Assafuah, against the Chief Justice’s suspension. Another suit challenging the suspension of the Chief Justice was also dismissed by the Supreme Court on May 21, 2025.
The Chief Justice herself filed a case at the same court, against her suspension, the members of the committee probing the petitions, and the general conduct of the probe. These cases were also dismissed by the Supreme Court on May 28, 2025.
May 14, 2025 – Committee begins work
Through a statement on May 14, 2025, the presidency announced that the 5-member committee was due to commence its work on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
“The committee will sit three times a week and present their recommendations to the President upon completion of their work,” the statement said.
June 25, 2025 – CJ addresses press conference
Speaking to the press for the first time since the controversy around her removal from office, Justice Torkornoo raised several issues with regard to the events leading to her suspension, the implications for judicial independence and again the conduct at the committee hearings – matters which she had raised before, in her lawsuits at the Supreme Court.
“The removal process that I am involved in as Chief Justice is historic. In all of Ghana’s 68-year history as an independent republic, there has never been a hearing for the removal of the Chief Justice.
“One would therefore have hoped that if such a process becomes necessary, it would provide good guidance and precedent for nation-building. Unfortunately, every step of the removal process being undertaken against me is being done in a manner that breaks every rule on how justice is delivered in the country.
“And this is why I find the need to draw the nation’s attention this afternoon, to the serious violations of the Constitution and law in the process, and the danger it holds for the development of the nation’s democracy.
“The second reason for making this statement is that though I am in the process alone, its effects ripple far beyond me as a person. This process will affect how all High Court Justices, Justices of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court Justices and all Chief Justices that will be appointed in the future may be removed from office,” she said at a press conference in Accra on June 25, 2025.
July 4 – ECOWAS Court case
Following the dismissal of her cases at the Supreme Court, Justice Torkornoo decided to file a case at the ECOWAS Court of Justice against Ghana and sued for the violation of her fundamental human rights.
This was confirmed by the Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai, who wrote on X that the case was filed on July 4, 2025.
The ECOWAS Court has yet to give judgment on the matter. The last time the court made an update on the matter was on July 14, 2025, when it adjourned, giving judgment on the matter.
But in the midst of the controversy, some misinformation (here) had spread that Justice Torkornoo had lost the case at the ECOWAS Court.
September 1, 2025 – Committee submits report, CJ removed
The Justice Gabriel Pwamang committee, on September 1, 2025, submitted a report on the petition filed by Daniel Ofori to President Mahama. This report also contained recommendations, which per Article 146 (9), the President shall act in accordance with.
According to a statement by the Presidency, the committee heard evidence from 13 witnesses on behalf of the petitioner, Daniel Ofori. The Chief Justice, who also testified and was cross-examined, is said to have called 12 witnesses, including experts.
Hours after this report was submitted, the Presidency released a statement indicating that the Chief Justice had been removed from office.
“After considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146 (1) had been established and recommended her removal from office,” the statement said.
Researched by Gifty Danso
Timeline of events leading to the Chief Justice’s suspension
| Incident | Date | |
| 1 | The President consult’s Council of State after three petitions were received for the removal of the Chief Justice | March 25, 2025 (here) |
| 2 | Chief Justice requests copies of petitions seeking her removal from office | March 27, 2025 (here, here, and here) |
| 3 | President obliges, gives her 10 days to respond to the petitions | March 28, 2025 (find here) |
| 4 | Chief Justice submits response | April 7, 2025 (find here) |
| 5 | President suspends Chief Justice, forms committee to investigate issues | April 22, 2025 (find here) |
| 6 | Calls from those in opposition to the suspension – GBA, FIDA, NPP, others | Between April 16 – April 29, 2025 (find here, here, here, and here) |
| 7 | NPP’s demonstration against Chief Justice’s suspension | May 5, 2025 (find here) |
| 8 | Committee hearing petition begins work | May 14, 2025 (find here) |
| 8 | Chief Justice Torkornoo files injunction against members of Pwamang committee, and additional process over rights violations | May 21, 2025 (find here), May 26 (here) |
| 9 | Supreme Court dismisses injunctions by Torkornoo and others | May 28 (here), May 6 (here) |
| 10 | Chief Justice’s press conference | June 25 (here) |
| 11 | Case at ECOWAS Court + related misinformation | July 4 (here), and here |
| 12 | Committee submits report of one petition, Chief Justice removed from office | September 1, 2025 |
