Private legal practitioner Kwame Adofo has cautioned that the recent removal of Ghana’s Chief Justice could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s constitutional democracy.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show, Adofo warned that the decision risks setting a precedent future leaders may exploit for political gain.
“This will haunt us forever. In the future, if another president decides to remove a Chief Justice, they will justify it by saying there’s already a precedent. That is a serious disservice to this country,” he said.
Adofo also rejected attempts by Attorney General Dominic Ayine to equate the removal of the Chief Justice with that of other high-profile officials such as former CHRAJ boss Lauretta Lamptey and former Electoral Commission Chair Charlotte Osei.
“The Attorney General was comparing apples with pears.
“The CJ cannot under any circumstance be compared with the position of an ordinary commissioner. Their removal procedures are entirely different,” he argued.
He further questioned the grounds cited for the Chief Justice’s removal, describing them as weak and arbitrary.
“Nobody knows what ‘stated misbehavior’ really means.
“To say traveling with your spouse constitutes misbehavior is capricious, arbitrary, and unfair,” Adofo stressed.
While commending the Attorney General for acknowledging the Ghana Bar Association’s (GBA) role in defending the rule of law and citizens’ rights, Adofo faulted him for “descending into politics” by drawing parallels between the dismissals of the three female officials.
According to Adofo, Ghana must tread carefully in order not to undermine the sanctity of its constitutional institutions, especially the judiciary, which he described as “the last line of defense for the country’s democracy.”
