Prof Adei Opposes Calls For John Mahama To Remove Chief Justice Torkonoo

• Professor Stephen Adei, the former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has opposed calls for Mahama to remove the Chief Justice
• The academic noted that removing the Chief Justice for partisan reasons would set a dangerous precedent
• He said political leaders must actively protect the integrity of the Judiciary rather than interfere with its leadership

A former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has pushed against calls for President-elect John Mahama to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.

Professor Stephen Adei expressed strong reservations about the likelihood of such an event occurring while raising concerns about its implications for Ghana’s judiciary and democratic dispensation in the future.

He argued that such an action would constitute a dangerous precedent and could threaten Ghana’s democracy.

In an interview with TV3 on Sunday, December 22, 2024, Prof Adei said the independence of the judiciary must be jealously guarded against political interference.

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He said interfering with the judiciary's leadership, a critical pillar of democracy, would erode public trust in the institution.

Prof Adei further argued that if Mahama removed the Chief Justice, he would have opened the floodgates for other political leaders discontented with the judiciary to do the same.

“We must resist the temptation to politicise every aspect of governance, especially our judiciary," he said.

He stressed that political leaders must take a keen interest in protecting institutional integrity over partisan interests.

Professor Azar petitions Akufo-Addo to remove Chief Justice

YEN.com.gh reported that Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, a Design and Development Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, has filed a petition demanding the immediate removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkonoo.

In his petition submitted to President Akufo-Addo, he accused the Chief Justice of misconduct and incompetence.

He alleged the Chief Justice had engaged in several constitutional and administrative breaches that undermined the judiciary's credibility and integrity.

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He noted that his request to remove the Chief Justice is grounded in Article 146 of the 1992 constitution and insisted that President Akufo-Addo set up a committee to investigate the Chief Justice.

Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh