The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has renewed its call for a review of the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, warning that the move could undermine judicial independence and set a troubling precedent.
The call was mad3 on Sunday, June 30, 2025, during the 43rd Martyrs’ Day commemoration held in honour of three High Court judges—Justices Frederick Opoku Sarkodie, Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong—who were abducted and brutally murdered on June 30, 1982. The event, observed annually, reflects on the sacrifices made by members of the judiciary in the face of political intimidation and violence.
“In the spirit of reconciliation, all the various calls made for a reconsideration of the suspension of the Chief Justice in the circumstances, as it sets a poor precedent, will not go unheeded. We yearn for peace and strive for peace,” said GBA President Effua Ghartey in her address at the ceremony.
Ghartey emphasised the significance of preserving the autonomy of the judiciary, warning that politically tinged suspensions could weaken public confidence in the legal system and erode democratic values.
“The judiciary must remain a strong, impartial pillar of our democracy. Suspending a sitting Chief Justice under questionable circumstances risks opening the door to manipulation and long-term institutional damage,” she cautioned.
