GBA will proceed to court if calls on President fail — Kwame Adofo on CJ’s saga

Constitutional lawyer Kwame Adofo has warned that the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) will initiate legal action should its call for President Mahama to revoke the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo go unheeded.

Speaking on ABC Midday News on Wednesday, Adofo described the appeal as “the first step” under the constitution.

Adding that “this is just a misunderstanding in cases of what should be done.” He stressed that if the President refuses to act, the Association will have no choice but to proceed to court.

Adofo’s comments follow a GBA statement dated April 26, 2025, which characterized the Chief Justice’s suspension under Article 146(10) of the 1992 Constitution as unconstitutional and lacking the requisite published Constitutional or Statutory Instrument mandated by Article 296.

The Association argues that, without these instruments, the exercise of presidential discretion was legally defective.

Adofo reaffirmed this position, noting that the power to suspend had not been properly activated and that judicial independence must be upheld.

Beyond the immediate dispute, Adofo also called for a broader review of Ghana’s constitution to ensure stronger protections for the judiciary.

By updating the legal framework, he argued, future ambiguities surrounding similar situations would be avoided, thereby preserving the integrity of Ghana’s democratic institutions.