Justice Torkornoo Challenges Removal as Supreme Court Judge

Former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has now gone to court. She Torkornoo challenges her removal as a Justice of the Supreme Court and argues that her removal by President John Dramani Mahama was unlawful. She has filed a judicial review application at the High Court. Her application specifically targets the President’s warrant of removal, issued on September 1, 2025. Justice Torkornoo claims the procedure used to remove her was for a Chief Justice. This process, she says, is completely different from that for a Supreme Court Justice.

Justice Torkornoo’s application argues her removal as a Supreme Court Justice was unlawful. The recommendation for her removal, she says, was only for her office as the Chief Justice. That procedure, she contends, is completely different from the one for a Supreme Court Justice. The core of her argument, therefore, is procedural. President Mahama’s office used the wrong legal framework. The constitutional requirements for removing a Chief Justice are, in fact, distinct from those for other Supreme Court judges. For this reason, she believes the government followed the wrong procedure.

Justice Torkornoo seeks two main reliefs from the court. First, she wants an order of certiorari. This would quash the warrant of removal. She believes the warrant violates constitutional provisions for the removal of a Superior Court Justice. Consequently, she claims it is unlawful, null, and void. In addition, she seeks a declaration from the court. She wants the court to state that President Mahama lacks the power to remove a Justice of the Superior Courts. Such a removal, she argues, can only happen in accordance with Article 146 of the Constitution.

This legal battle has significant implications. It could clarify the legal processes for removing judges. It could also set an important precedent for future cases. The case highlights the separation of powers. Furthermore, it shows the judiciary’s role in checking the executive. This challenge to presidential authority is a landmark case. Ultimately, the way Torkornoo challenges her removal will test the limits of executive power.

Source: GraphicOnline