NPP Protest to Protect the Judiciary: “Suspending the Chief Justice Is a Red Line”

• Members of the NPP and other political groups have hit the streets of Accra to protest the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
• The demonstrators gathered at the Supreme Court to present a petition defending judicial independence and condemning any interference
• President Mahama suspended the Chief Justice after a prima facie case was established from three petitions that were filed against her

Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some political parties in Ghana have thronged the streets of Accra to protest the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.

The protesters assembled in the early hours of Monday, May 5, 2025, at a park opposite the Supreme Court to march to the Jubilee House, Ghana’s seat of government.

As of the time of drafting this report, the protesters have gathered at the gate of the Supreme Court to present a petition to the head of Ghana’s judiciary.

According to organisers of the protest dubbed #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo, the civil action aims to defend judicial independence and denounce interference from the executive arm of government.

The protesters carried placards with powerful messages, warning the government to stay away from the judiciary.

Some of the placards read:

• Suspending the Chief Justice Is a Red Line
• We Need an Independent Judiciary
• Justice Must Be Free and Fair, and
• Save Our Justice System.

Below is a Facebook post about the ongoing demonstration:

On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, President Mahama suspended the Chief Justice following the determination of a prima facie case in three petitions seeking her removal.

In a press statement issued by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the minister in charge of government communications and spokesperson for the president, a five-member committee was set up to investigate the allegations against Torkornoo.

Below is a clip of Afenyo-Markin, the leader of the NPP group in parliament, addressing the media.

The committee is chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, who sits on the Supreme Court bench.

Other members of the committee include Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, also a Supreme Court judge, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, a former Auditor-General, Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), and Professor James Sefah Dzisah, an associate professor at the University of Ghana.

A Facebook video from the protest is below:

Reactions to NPP's protest about Chief Justice

YEN.com.gh compiled a few Ghanaian reactions on social media to the protest led by the NPP.

@Joseph Kingsley Kwesi Graham said:

"I haven't seen any placard saying Prez is undermining the constitution."

@Moses Apagliya also said:

"Do the NPP really read and understand the constitution of the state??"

@Akwasi Wireko commented:

"You will be surprised to know that almost half of the people there don't know the CJ or the functions of the CJ."

@Daniel Yaw Ndor also commented:

"One Lacoste, a pack of dry jollof and chicken and hopefully a bottle of water and 50 cedis, I dont blame them."

Mahama receives more petitions against Chief Justice

YEN.com.gh also reported that President Mahama received more petitions for the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo's removal.

In March 2025, the President was said to have started consultations with the Council of State based on three previous petitions.

Following this, Torkornoo was suspended after the Council of State determined that there was a substantial case against her.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh