It is with a heavy heart and a voice sharpened by the fire of democracy that I pen this article. The recent suspension of the Chief Justice of Ghana has struck a raw nerve in our national conscience—an act so brazen, so politically radioactive, that it deserves not just scrutiny but outright condemnation. It is not only a dent on the judiciary; it is an assault on the very soul of Ghana’s democratic integrity.
Let me state it without mincing words: no government—no matter how popular or desperate—has the moral or constitutional right to erode the institutional sanctity of the judiciary. And yet, that is precisely what has happened. The Executive has taken a dangerous swing at the gavel that represents justice in this country. And we must not be silent.
A Dangerous Echo of History
If this political maneuver feels eerily familiar, it’s because history has witnessed this spectacle before. In 1963, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, revered as the architect of Ghana’s independence, committed what would become one of the darkest stains on his leadership. When Justice Sir Arku Korsah and his panel acquitted the accused in the Kulungugu bomb attack, Nkrumah—unhappy with a verdict that didn’t align with his expectations—sacked the entire panel. Korsah, a man of unimpeachable character, was removed not because he erred, but because he dared to be independent.
Today, the ghost of that executive overreach has been resurrected.
This is not just a constitutional issue. It’s a moral crisis, and it tells every Ghanaian—especially the young professionals, the future lawyers, judges, and journalists—that truth no longer shields them from power, and neutrality no longer protects them from tyranny.
The Hypocrisy of Power
It’s baffling—no, infuriating—that the very individuals who now orchestrate this suspension once sat on the other side of the political aisle, hurling insults and invectives at the judiciary when it suited them.
Let me remind us all of what then-Candidate John Dramani Mahama, now President, once said about the Supreme Court and its legal minds when he was in opposition. During the 2013 election petition, he labeled certain lawyers aligned with the Supreme Court as “hypocrites in wigs,” implying their loyalties lay not with the Constitution, but with power.
His tone dripped with contempt for the judicial process—a position that, at the time, many dismissed as political bravado. But it turns out, he wasn’t just angry—he was laying the ideological foundation for what we now see unfolding before us.
So the question must be asked: Was this all part of the plan? Was the eventual infiltration and silencing of Ghana’s judiciary a long-brewing plot dressed as reform?
If your answer is “maybe”, you’re part of the problem.
The Judiciary Is Not Your Political Pawn
Let’s get one thing straight: our courts do not belong to any political party. They are not tools to validate executive whims or to sanitize corrupt decisions made behind mahogany desks in Jubilee House. They are the last resort of the ordinary Ghanaian—our firewall against state capture, political arrogance, and constitutional abuse.
Suspending the Chief Justice in this fashion, especially without transparent due process, sets a horrific precedent. It says to future governments: “You can discipline the Judiciary if they refuse to dance to your tune.”
Is that the democratic legacy we want?
We Are Watching—And We Remember
History has a strange way of circling back. Today’s Executive will be tomorrow’s opposition. The tables will turn, and when they do, may the same sword you’ve unsheathed not be used against you.
Because the Ghanaian people—though long-suffering and often quiet—are watching. And we remember. We remember the words. We remember the disrespect. And more importantly, we remember the silence of those who should have spoken up but didn’t.
So, to the Members of Parliament whose voices have grown faint, to the media houses that suddenly lost their outrage, to the legal associations that should be marching the streets in black robes by now—I say: wake up. This is not politics-as-usual. This is not a battle of personalities. This is about whether or not the rule of law in Ghana survives beyond the next election cycle.
Final Word: Not In Our Name
This action does not represent the values of the Ghanaian people. It does not echo our constitutional ethos. And it certainly does not uphold the legacy of judicial impartiality carved out through decades of sacrifice and principled defiance.
To suspend the Chief Justice without due process is to suspend the hopes of millions who still believe in this fragile thing we call democracy.
We will not forget.
We will not forgive easily.
And we will not stop speaking—not in our name.
