Former Deputy Attorney-General, Joseph Kpemka, has sharply criticised the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office, describing the move as a dangerous precedent for Ghana’s democracy.
President John Dramani Mahama, on Monday, September 1, 2025, removed the Chief Justice in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.
A statement issued by the Presidency said the decision followed the recommendation of a committee established under Article 146(6) to investigate a petition filed by a Ghanaian citizen, Mr. Daniel Ofori.
The removal took immediate effect.
Reacting to the development on Channel One TV’s Akwatia Watch, with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr. Kpemka said he was not surprised by the decision, arguing that the Chief Justice’s removal was politically motivated.
“I’m not surprised at all with the way things were done. Some of us foresaw that it was over, and indeed it is over. It’s not surprising at all. Right from day one, the idea has been that when the NDC wins power, the Chief Justice will be removed from office, and that has been done…Perfectly so, it’s being well-orchestrated and well executed,” he asserted.
He warned that the action by the Mahama administration risks setting a troubling precedent for future governments and could undermine the stability of the country’s democratic institutions.
He called for the amendment of the Constitution to prevent future occurrences.
“What has happened will be the death of our democracy. It will be repeated,” he said.
