Suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, says she has decided to respect President John Mahama’s decision to suspend her, even though she believes it lacks constitutional basis and undermines judicial independence.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, June 25, Justice Torkornoo stated that her choice to comply with the suspension order was guided by a deep respect for democratic institutions, even if the process itself has been tainted by legal irregularities.
“On my part, I chose to respect His Excellency the President’s warrant of suspension, even though it was clear to me that it was not supported by a prima facie determination that is required by the Constitution and decisions of the Supreme Court,” she said.
Justice Torkornoo indicated that although she is submitting herself to the process established to consider the petitions against her, she will not stay silent about what she views as deliberate violations of the rule of law.
“I have chosen to honour the process set in place to hear the petitions, but I do not choose to hide from the nation that perversion of law, rules, and due process, as we all know, are driving the proceedings, and this renders the proceedings unconstitutional,” she declared.
She expressed hope that despite the current turn of events, Ghana will not lose its commitment to fairness and legal integrity.
“I choose to trust that such darkness will not totally engulf this nation,” she added.
Justice Torkornoo further rejected any claims of corruption or unethical conduct in her decades-long judicial career.
“I am confident that in my journey as a lawyer, as a judge and now as Chief Justice, there is no one person in this country who can look at me in the eye and accuse me of taking a bribe to decide a case. This is the personal treasure of integrity that I live with,” she said.
She suggested that the suspension proceedings could be a calculated effort to remove her from office, even in the absence of lawful justification.
“So what if these current proceedings are being carefully staged to result in my removal as Chief Justice, even if there’s no lawful justification?” she questioned.
Reflecting on her years of service under four Ghanaian presidents, Justice Torkornoo said she never imagined such “irregularities” were possible within the justice system until she personally encountered them.
“As a career judge who has served under four presidents from the High Court through the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, I could never have imagined such irregularities possible if I had not personally encountered them.”
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