ACCRA – Former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has urged a “mature and fair” approach to the removal of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from the Supreme Court, stressing that she should either remain on the bench or be retired honourably to safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s judiciary.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Monday, September 22, 2025, Dr. Boakye-Danquah argued that Justice Torkornoo’s dismissal as Chief Justice does not automatically disqualify her from serving as a Supreme Court judge, given that her elevation to the bench was earned through her legal career and progression in the judiciary.
“There is nowhere you can become a Chief Justice without being a lawyer, and so if you have removed her as the CJ, she still remains on the Supreme Court,” he stated. “You must find a very mature way of ensuring that the dichotomy is clear.”
He insisted that her removal as both head of the judiciary and Supreme Court justice by President Mahama amounted to an injustice to her “career path,” adding that any retirement must be handled with dignity.
“She has risen through the ranks, she had worked so she can still sit as part of the numbers in any matter, but if you want to also retire her, you must retire her honourably, but to do both is almost an injustice to the process and career path,” he argued.
Dr. Boakye-Danquah further warned that eliminating Justice Torkornoo from the Supreme Court without a clear procedure could weaken confidence in the judiciary and undermine fairness in Ghana’s democracy.
“You must find a very mature way of ensuring that the dichotomy is clear. If you can even be able to do that, then you can even, for the fairness of the democracy and the health of the judiciary, you can even decide to let her remain on the Supreme Court and let her be part of it. Then we can see the maturity of the judiciary system,” he added.
A former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare has also urged President Mahama to retire Justice Torkornoo honourably, warning that removing her entirely from the bench was both unlawful and dangerous for Ghana’s judicial system.
Source: citinewsroom.com
