The Supreme Court has, by a 3–2 majority, dismissed an application seeking to halt proceedings on petitions for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, saw Justices Henrietta Mensa Bonsu and Ernest Gaewu dissenting, while the majority held that the case should proceed without delay. The Court announced that its full reasoning will be made public on May 21, 2025.
The injunction application was part of a broader legal challenge surrounding the Chief Justice’s suspension, raising significant constitutional questions regarding due process and judicial independence.
Lawyers opposing the suspension argued that moving forward with the petitions before addressing preliminary legal concerns would undermine the integrity of the judicial process.
However, the majority of justices disagreed, ruling that there were insufficient grounds to justify a suspension of proceedings at this stage.
Tuesday’s decision follows earlier controversy over the composition of the panel. Former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame objected to the inclusion and leadership of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, arguing it was unprecedented for an acting Chief Justice to empanel and preside over a matter involving the substantive Chief Justice.
That objection was unanimously dismissed by the Court after a brief recess, paving the way for proceedings to continue under Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s leadership.
The current five-member panel includes Justices Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Henrietta Mensa Bonsu, Yonny Kulendi, Amadu Tanko, and Ernest Gaewu.
