The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has dismissed former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s request to stop the ongoing process seeking her removal from office and to reinstate her with full benefits.
In its ruling on her application for provisional measures (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/32/25), the Court also threw out the Republic of Ghana’s challenge to its jurisdiction.
Torkornoo had asked the Court to suspend the removal proceedings and restore her entitlements while the main case was being considered. However, the Court declined, indicating it would not interfere in Ghana’s internal processes.
The government had argued that the ECOWAS Court lacked jurisdiction since the matter was already before Ghanaian courts, including the Supreme Court. But the regional court rejected that stance, affirming its authority to hear Torkornoo’s human-rights claims under ECOWAS legal instruments.
Torkornoo filed the application in July 2025, following her suspension and the commencement of removal proceedings. She maintains that her rights to dignity, fair hearing, and employment—guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights—were violated.
