Citizen Petitions Akufo-Addo to Remove Chief Justice Over Alleged Administrative Failures
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare petitions President Akufo-Addo, accusing Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo of undermining judicial independence and mismanaging administrative duties
- Petitioner claims the Chief Justice bypassed proper procedures in judicial appointments
- Allegations of unjustified reconstitution of judicial panels threaten impartiality
- Petition excludes judicial rulings, centering on administrative lapses under Article 125(4)
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, a Ghanaian citizen, has filed a petition with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, calling for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo on grounds of alleged misconduct and administrative incompetence.
In a letter dated December 17, Prof. Asare cited Article 146(1) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, emphasizing that his concerns are focused solely on the Chief Justice’s administrative responsibilities as head of the judiciary under Article 125(4).
The petition explicitly excludes matters related to her judicial rulings or decisions.
Among his claims, the petitioner accused the Chief Justice of undermining constitutional procedures by influencing the appointment of judges and reducing the roles of the president and the Judicial Council to mere formalities.
He also raised concerns about her alleged interference in the composition of judicial panels without sufficient justification, which he described as a threat to judicial impartiality and independence.
Prof. Asare has called for members of the Judicial Council to be subpoenaed during the review of the petition to testify on these issues.
