The Minority Caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has strongly condemned President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, accusing the President of orchestrating a “brazen judicial coup” and undermining the independence of the judiciary.
The statement, released on Tueday, highlights a growing divide within Ghanaian politics over the future of the judiciary and the executive’s influence over its functions.
A Brazen Judicial Coup
The Minority’s statement calls President Mahama’s suspension of the Chief Justice a reckless “abuse of Executive power” and a direct attack on the judiciary’s independence.
According to the statement, the suspension, done under the purported authority of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, comes at a time when “legitimate legal challenges” against the process were still pending before the Supreme Court.
“It is an unpardonable affront to the rule of law that the President has, in consultation with the Council of State, proceeded to suspend the Chief Justice while the Supreme Court is yet to rule on the constitutionality of the very process being used against her,” the statement reads.
This criticism draws parallels to the events of 1963, when President Kwame Nkrumah removed Chief Justice Sir Arku Korsah over judicial decisions the President found unfavorable.
The Minority warned that such actions threaten to set a “dangerous precedent” in the country’s democratic process.
Political Motives Behind the Suspension
The Minority also took aim at the underlying political motivations behind the suspension, suggesting that the President’s actions are less about judicial accountability and more about securing political control over the judiciary.
They pointed to remarks made by President Mahama in Akosombo in 2023, where he allegedly expressed his desire to appoint judges sympathetic to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“President Mahama’s actions confirm what many have long suspected—that this is not about accountability, but about raw political control,” the statement claims.
The Minority argues that the rush to remove the Chief Justice is not an attempt to “reset” the judicial system, but rather an exercise in partisan power grab, warning that such moves amount to “tyranny” and a subversion of Ghana’s democratic values.
A Strong Warning to the Mahama Administration
The statement from the Minority was also a direct warning to President Mahama and his administration.
It underscored the opposition’s commitment to resisting any further attempts to intimidate or unlawfully remove the Chief Justice.
“Let this statement serve as unequivocal notice to President Mahama and his administration:
Any further attempts to harass, intimidate, or unlawfully remove the Chief Justice will be met with fierce legal and public resistance,” the Minority said.
They pledged to challenge any efforts to appoint judges who are seen as politically compliant with the ruling party.
The statement also called on civil society and the legal fraternity to unite against the perceived threat to judicial independence.
“The legal fraternity, civil society, and all defenders of democracy will not stand idly by while the judiciary is turned into an appendage of the Executive.”
A Call for Constitutional Integrity
In their final remarks, the Minority issued a call to action, demanding that the President uphold the Constitution and restore judicial independence.
They called for the immediate reinstatement of Chief Justice Torkornoo, pending the Supreme Court’s determination of the pending legal challenges.
“We demand the immediate reinstatement of the Chief Justice pending the Supreme Court’s determination of the pending legal challenges. A halt to all removal proceedings until the judiciary has conclusively ruled on the constitutionality of the process,” the statement concluded.
–BY Daniel Bampoe
