Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo says the Council of State currently has no opinion on the matter involving petitions for the removal of the sitting Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo.
Sophia Akufo who is a member of the Council of State indicated that the current conversations surrounding the Chief Justice’s removal has not reached their table, adding they will deal with the matter accordingly should it get before them.
“That has nothing to do with the Council of State. At this stage it has not reached the Council of State. I am not going to pre-judge anything because I have not seen the petition. What I have seen of the petition is what I saw in the newspapers,” she added.
She motioned she is yet to see the Chief Justice’s and “as far as I am concerned she is a judge performing her judiciary functions, and she is the Chief Justice performing her adminstrative functions.”
Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo was given 10 days by President John Dramani Mahama to submit a response to petitions seeking her removal from the high office, a timeline which has already elapsed.
President Mahama’s directive comes after Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo made a formal request demanding copies of the petitions filed against her seeking her removal from office.
“Accordingly, you are respectfully requested to submit your preliminary response to the petitions within ten (10) days of receipt of this letter to facilitate further consultation between His Excellency and the Council of State.”
n a letter to the embattled Chief Justice, President John Mahama expressed disappointment over the circulation of her request for copies of the three petitions filed against her.
“His Excellency, however, notes with disappointment that your letter of 27th March 2025 addressed to him was circulating on social media even before he could review its contents. The letter was reportedly shared as an attachment to another letter you wrote to the President of the Supreme Court, the President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges and the President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).”
The petitions, which have stirred significant debate within legal and political circles, were submitted by petitioners questioning the Chief Justice’s conduct and suitability to continue in her role.
While the specific details of the allegations remain undisclosed, the move signals a high-stakes legal and constitutional battle ahead.
By invoking this timeline, the Chief Justice must now swiftly present her case or risk further proceedings that could determine her future in office.
Watch video:
