President John Dramani Mahama has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office following three separate petitions filed by individuals accusing her of misconduct and constitutional breaches.
The suspension was carried out in accordance with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the suspension of the Chief Justice once a prima facie case is established and a disciplinary committee is constituted to investigate the matter.
This development comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s adjournment of an injunction application seeking to restrain the President and the Council of State from proceeding with the prima facie determination on the petitions.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, adjourned the hearing to 6 May following an application filed by the Chief Justice’s legal team to block the ongoing process.
Earlier, the Minority in Parliament held a press conference urging religious and traditional leaders to counsel President Mahama against proceeding with the removal process.
According to the NPP MPs, the petitions are baseless and fail to meet the constitutional threshold for the removal of a Chief Justice.