By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has described the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo as unconstitutional and lacking transparency.
Afenyo-Markin, speaking during his opening remarks at the first session of the third sitting of the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic, he disclosed that tbe process leading to the dismissal of the Chief Justice violated constitutional principles and set a dangerous precedent for judicial interference in Ghana.
He explained that three separate petitions were sent to the committee investigating the matter, but only one was considered before the committee abruptly submitted its report without notice to the parties involved.
“The committee adjourned to continue on September 15, yet suddenly presented a report on September 1, and within two hours, an announcement was made of her removal. Was that adjournment a deception?” Afenyo-Markin questioned.
He further raised concerns that no one had seen the supposed prima facie determination that justified the suspension of the Chief Justice, adding that the so-called Report remained a secret document.
“We, the Minority, shall not relent in our demand for a copy and full disclosure of this report,” he stated.
In his view, the irregular process used to remove the Chief Justice could endanger other independent state institutions, such as the Auditor-General, the Electoral Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education, and the Public Services Commission.
He questioned whether a Chief Justice who has been removed from office should still remain a Justice of the Supreme Court, describing it as a threat to accountability and good governance.
“The judiciary is the last line of defense for our democracy, and any act that undermines its independence strikes at the heart of our constitutional order,” he said.
Moreover, Minority Leader stressed that the Minority would resist any attempt to compromise the sanctity of the judiciary and urged government and state institutions to protect the courts from political manipulation and restore public confidence in the justice system.
“Ghana’s courts have long stood as the last line of defense for liberty. Any departure from that role risks eroding public confidence in justice itself,” he concluded.
