Former Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, has filed a judicial review application at the High Court to contest her removal as a Justice of the Supreme Court by President John Dramani Mahama.
In the application, Justice Torkornoo argues that her removal was unlawful because the recommendation for her exit was tied to her role as Chief Justice, which follows a different constitutional procedure from that governing the removal of a Justice of the Supreme Court.
She insists that conflating the two roles undermines the safeguards set out in the Constitution for the independence of the judiciary.
The reliefs being sought are wide-ranging. Justice Torkornoo is asking the court to issue an order of certiorari to quash the warrant of removal issued by President Mahama on September 1, 2025.
According to her, the warrant breached the constitutional provisions that regulate the removal of Justices of the Superior Courts, making the act unlawful, null and void.
In addition, she is seeking a declaration affirming that the President does not have the authority to remove a Justice of the Superior Courts unless the process fully complies with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution. By bringing the matter before the High Court, Justice Torkornoo underscores her determination to defend the constitutional protections around judicial tenure and independence.
