Ghana: Chief Justice dismissed by President Mahama
On Monday, September 1, 2025, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama made a major decision by dismissing the Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo. The decision, announced by the presidency in the afternoon, came just a few hours after the submission of an investigative report recommending her removal. It was taken in accordance with Article 146(9) of the Ghanaian Constitution.
Earlier in the morning, the Head of State had received at the presidential palace the report of the inquiry committee tasked with examining three petitions filed against the magistrate. The sealed document, delivered by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, the committee’s chair, was the result of several months of closed-door proceedings conducted in line with legal provisions. On this occasion, the judge condemned what he called “blatant false statements” circulating in the public sphere regarding members of the panel.
The first petition, filed by businessman Daniel Ofori, constituted the bulk of the proceedings. Thirteen witnesses were heard against Justice Torkornoo, while in her defense, she presented twelve witnesses, including several experts. Each side was represented by four lawyers, and roughly 10,000 pages of documents were examined by the committee. At the end of these hearings, the recommendation for dismissal was submitted to President Mahama, who formalized it the same day.
The presidency specified that the second petition had been adjourned at the joint request of the magistrate and the petitioner. As for the third case, the committee’s conclusions will be delivered at a later date once proceedings are completed.
This dismissal marks a turning point for Ghana’s judiciary. It comes at a time when the independence and integrity of institutions are under close scrutiny by civil society. The ousted Chief Justice, who had held the position since 2023, had been at the center of heated controversies in recent months.
With this decision, President Mahama seeks to reaffirm his commitment to upholding constitutional provisions and maintaining the credibility of the nation’s highest court, despite the tensions this removal may provoke within the political and judicial classes.
