Suspended CJ Torkornoo Files Human Rights Case Against Ghana at ECOWAS Court

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has filed a lawsuit against the Government of Ghana at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, alleging her recent suspension breaches her constitutional rights and amounts to an unlawful removal from office.

Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem Sai revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that the case was filed on July 4, 2025. He stated that the suspended Chief Justice is accusing the government of violating her human rights through actions that have effectively stripped her of her judicial duties without a conclusive legal process.

“Essentially, Her Ladyship argues that by her suspension, she ‘has effectively been removed from her official capacity without a final determination, impairing her right to function and serve in a position she was constitutionally appointed to,’” Dr Srem Sai noted.

The Deputy AG explained that similar claims are already being contested by Justice Torkornoo in Ghana’s Supreme Court and High Court, suggesting a coordinated legal effort to challenge the process from multiple fronts.

President John Dramani Mahama, after consulting with the Council of State, determined that a prima facie case had been established following three separate petitions that alleged “stated misbehaviour” on the part of the Chief Justice. This led to her suspension and the formation of a five-member committee to probe the allegations.

The committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang, includes Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu‑Asiedu, former Auditor General Daniel Yao Domelevo, Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces, and academic Professor James Sefah Dzisah.

Justice Torkornoo has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the allegations are either baseless or had already been dismissed under Article 146 of the Constitution. On May 21, 2025, she filed an interlocutory injunction at the Supreme Court to halt the inquiry and to challenge the neutrality of some committee members on the grounds of bias.