Why Embattled Former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo is in Line For an Appointment From Mahama
- Sophia Akuffo's resignation has created a challenge for President Mahama in selecting her successor
- The Ghanaian Constitution mandates that a former Chief Justice serve on the Council of State
- Gertrude Torkonoo's candidacy is interesting because of her contentious history with the Mahama administration
The resignation of former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo from the Council of State has put President John Mahama in an interesting position regarding her replacement.
The law mandates that a former chief justice serve on the council of state, meaning Mahama's options have been limited to three people.
Source: Getty Images
Article 89(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana makes provision for the creation of a Council of State and mandates the president to appoint certain categories of people, including a former Chief Justice, to the Council of State. Specifically, Article 89(1)(a) makes it compulsory for one of the persons on the council to be someone who has "previously held the office of the Chief Justice."
There are currently three living former chief justices aside from Akuffo: Georgina Theodora Wood, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah and Gertrude Torkonoo.
Wood was the 12th Chief Justice and the first woman to hold the position, while Anin-Yeboah was the 14th Chief Justice of the Republic.
Torkornoo is the name that will spark interest because of her ongoing spat with the government after being forced out of office by the Mahama administration.
She is currently in court seeking compensation from the government after she was sacked.
As part of her case at the ECOWAS court, Torkonoo is demanding $10 million in compensation from the government.
Torkornoo's lawsuit, which was seeking to have her suspension removed, argued that she has suffered reputational damage.
The Law Platform published details of the lawsuit, which was filed on July 4, 2025.
She maintains that her suspension violated her rights under the African Charter on Human and People's Rights.
Background to Torkornoo's legal troubles
President John Mahama received five petitions for the removal of Torkonoo, leading to her suspension and eventual sacking.
A committee started probing Torkonoo based on the first three petitions, which accused the sacked chief justice of misconduct and abuse of power.
Torkornoo, on May 21, unsuccessfully sued the committee set up by Mahama to investigate petitions seeking her removal from office.
Eventually, Torkornoo was removed following a recommendation by the committee probing complaints against her. She had been on suspension since April 2025.
The investigative committee found that grounds of stated misbehaviour had been established following its probe.
Source: Facebook
She was found to have engaged in unlawful expenditure of public funds, abuse of discretionary power, and interference in judicial appointments.
For the unlawful expenditure of public funds, she authorised the Judicial Service to cover travel expenses and per diem allowances for her husband and daughter during private holiday trips in 2023.
NPP MPs boycott Chief Justice nominee vetting
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that members of the Minority on the Appointments Committee of Parliament boycotted the vetting of the current Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie.
They were upset with the nomination process, which proceeded despite Torkornoo's pending lawsuits.
Source: YEN.com.gh
