Lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has urged the public and the judiciary not to dismiss the legal challenge filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo against her removal from office and the appointment of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as her successor.
According to him, the former Chief Justice must be given a fair hearing.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on October 18, Barker-Vormawor said the matter presents a significant test for Ghana’s constitutional order and the independence of the judiciary.
“We have never in this manner removed the Chief Justice before. The issues that she is bringing up are interesting for our democracy both in terms of constitutional and administrative law,” he said.
“We have to at least acknowledge the utility of the process that we are going to do,” he added.
Barker-Vormawor also commended Justice Torkornoo for choosing to contest her removal.
“What she has shown is that she decided not to walk away quietly and for me at least that’s commendable,” he stated.
He then called on the judiciary to handle the matter with restraint and fairness.
“I am hoping that the way in which we treat this, we treat it with a lot more sober reflection than outright dismissing it,” Barker-Vormawor said.
“That her colleagues in the judiciary are not only going to look at the executive’s posture and say that ‘well the Executive has already moved on with a new candidate and for which reason we must ensure that that status quo remains’.”
He stressed that Justice Torkornoo deserves a fair hearing, saying, “She has to get a fair hearing and I’m hoping that the Judiciary is able to afford her that.”
“Some of the issues she’s raising, if proved, I’ll be interested to see what the court ultimately decides,” he concluded.
On October 16, former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo filed a judicial review application at the High Court seeking to halt the appointment of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the new Chief Justice.
In her application, filed through her lawyer Kwamena Adu-Kusi, she requested:
“An order of certiorari bringing up into this court for the purpose of being quashed and for quashing the Presidential Warrant dated 1st September 2025 removing Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo from office as Chief Justice and Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana,”
“An order prohibiting the consideration and appointment of a new substantive Chief Justice of Ghana,”
“An order prohibiting the denial or withdrawal of the salary, benefit, courtesies and other entitlements due to the Applicant before the Warrant of Removal dated 1st September 2025.”
Justice Torkornoo was officially removed from office on September 1, 2025, by President John Dramani Mahama, following the recommendation of a five-member committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang who found her guilty of “stated misbehaviour”.
