Ghana Bar Association President, Efua Ghartey and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has launched a scathing criticism against the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) over its appeal for the reinstatement of suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Speaking on Monday, June 30, during the 2025 memorial service held in honour of the murdered High Court judges, GBA President Efua Ghartey reiterated the Association’s call for a review of the decision to suspend Chief Justice Torkornoo.
She expressed concern about the implications of the suspension, warning that it could set a dangerous precedent for the country’s judiciary.
“In the spirit of reconciliation, all the various calls made for a reconsideration of the suspension of the Chief Justice, in these circumstances—since it sets a poor precedent—will not go unheeded. We yearn for peace and strive for peace,” she said.
However, reacting to the call in an interview on Joy FM later that same day, Felix Kwakye Ofosu said, “It is surprising that no less a body than the Ghana Bar Association can ask for a willful and blatant violation of the 1992 Constitution simply because of the individual involved.”
He argued that, considering the stage of the ongoing removal process, the President cannot act on the GBA’s request.
“What the GBA is asking for is not something the President can do, because there is no provision in the Constitution for that. At this stage, it is out of the President’s hands. Only the committee that was set up can determine whether the Chief Justice returns to post or not. The President has no further role in the matter, given how far the process has progressed.
“The GBA knows this. So why are they calling for something they know the President cannot do? Why are they insisting that constitutional provisions be set aside simply because they are the ones making the call?”
Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was suspended recently by President Mahama after a prima facie case was established by the Chief Justice, in accordance with Article 146 procedures, based on separate petitions.
The move has drawn mixed reactions, with some civil society groups and legal bodies, including the GBA, calling for restraint or a reversal in the interest of judicial independence.
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