Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo is urging the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice to order Ghana to pay her $10million as compensation for moral and reputational damages.
She maintains that her suspension from office violates her rights to a fair hearing guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Chief Justice was suspended by President John Dramani Mahama on April 22, 2025, after his consultation with the Council of State resulted in the conclusion that a prima facie case had been made, necessitating a full-scale probe. A five-member team, chaired by Senior Supreme Court Judge Justice Gabriel Pwamang, has since been investigating the matter.
Past and current legal actions
There have been more than 5 legal actions mainly filed at the Supreme Court by various citizens geared at halting the committee’s work.
The Chief Justice herself had also urged the Supreme Court to suspend the proceedings, arguing the committee had violated her rights during the proceedings.She alleged she was subjected to thorough searches before proceedings and denied access to her electronic gadgets. When the Supreme Court failed to grant her request, she took the matter to the High Court. This case is yet to be decided, with the Chief Justice’s legal team seeking remedies from the ECOWAS Court as well.
The legal team is asking for a declaration that her suspension violates human rights, that the panel constituted to investigate allegations of misconduct was not constituted to guarantee its independence.
They also want an order directed at the Republic of Ghana to lift the suspension and restore the Chief Justice to office and an award of $10million as compensation for moral and reputational damages suffered as a result of her suspension.
