Former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo has launched a fierce legal battle to halt the vetting and appointment of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
In a fresh suit filed at the High Court, Justice Torkonoo is seeking to nullify all proceedings of the Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang Committee, which investigated petitions for her removal under Article 146 of the Constitution.
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The former Chief Justice argues that the committee’s actions — and the subsequent Presidential Warrant authorising her dismissal — were unlawful, unconstitutional, and void. She is therefore asking the court to quash the committee’s report and all actions flowing from it.
This move comes as Parliament’s Appointments Committee prepares to vet Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who has served as Acting Chief Justice since April 22, 2025, following Torkonoo’s suspension.
Justice Torkonoo was officially removed from office on September 1, 2025, after a constitutional inquiry concluded that she had engaged in misconduct and misuse of public funds. The inquiry, conducted in consultation with the Council of State, recommended her dismissal — a decision President John Mahama acted upon.
President Mahama formally nominated Justice Baffoe-Bonnie in September to assume the substantive role, but Torkonoo’s latest court action could disrupt the transition at the helm of Ghana’s judiciary.