The Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkonoo has submitted her response to the three petitions asking for her removal from office. The 10 days given for her to submit her response expires on Monday, April 7, 2025.

Graphic Online understands Chief Justice Torkornoo submitted her response to the presidency with copies to the Council of State on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Last two weeks, the presidency announced that it had received and forwarded to the Council of State for consultation three petitions, which were all asking for the removal of Justice Torkornoo from office.

The presidency in a press statement, explained that the move by President Mahama was in line with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

Article 146 governs the processes for the removal of Justices of the Superior Courts, the Chief Justice and persons whose offices are analogous with Justices of the Superior Courts such as the Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC) and Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

The petitions were said to have been filed by three individuals on February 14 and March 17, 2025.

Details of the petition are not yet known.

Article one 146 of the 1992 Constitution explains that the grounds for removal from office should be a stated misbehaviour.

Following the announcement by the presidency that the petitions had been forwarded to the Council of State for consultation in establishing a prima facie case, the Chief Justice on March 27, 2025, in a letter requested copies of the petitions to enable her to respond as part of establishing a prima facie case to the petitions. 

In a letter addressed to both the President and members of the Council of State, Justice Torkonoo asked for an additional seven days to review the petitions once received.

The following day, March 28, President Mahama instructed the Chief Justice to provide a preliminary response to the petitions through his executive secretary.