President John Dramani Mahama has removed Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office after a constitutional inquiry upheld allegations of stated misbehavior, marking the first ouster of a head of Ghana’s judiciary in two decades.
The dismissal, announced Monday, followed the submission of the first report by the Article 146 Committee of Inquiry, which is examining three separate petitions seeking her removal. The ruling stemmed from the first case, filed by businessman Daniel Ofori.
At a brief ceremony at Jubilee House, committee chair Justice Gabriel Pwamang handed the sealed report to the president, stressing that the panel conducted proceedings in camera as required by the Constitution. Over several months, the committee heard testimony from 13 witnesses for the petitioner and 12 for the Chief Justice, including expert evidence, and reviewed about 10,000 pages of documents. Each side was represented by four lawyers.
Under Article 146(9), the president is bound to act on the committee’s findings, making Justice Torkornoo’s removal immediate and final.
Appointed in June 2023, Sackey Torkornoo was Ghana’s third female Chief Justice. Two additional petitions against her remain before the Article 146 Committee, suggesting further reports may follow.
