UK, Commonwealth Legal Bodies Demand Return of Ghana’s Chief Justice
The Bar Council of England and Wales and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association have expressed “serious concern” about the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude A.E.S. Torkornoo, who was suspended on 22 April 2025. The joint statement, dated 14 August 2025, stresses the importance of an independent and impartial judiciary as a cornerstone of the rule of law.
The statement recalls that Justice Torkornoo was appointed Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana on 12 June 2023 by former President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo. It also notes that, as of 4 July 2025, the Chief Justice has filed a suit at the ECOWAS Court of Justice challenging the constitutionality of her suspension.
Citing the Commonwealth Charter and the Latimer House Principles on the relationship between the three branches of government, the organisations say disciplinary proceedings that may lead to the removal of a judicial officer must include safeguards to ensure fairness. The statement quotes the Charter: “we support an independent, impartial, honest and competent judiciary and recognise that an independent, effective and competent legal system is integral to upholding the rule of law, engendering public confidence and dispensing justice.”
The statement lists specific concerns with the handling of the matter, including that: continuing the suspension appears to breach the Executive’s constitutional duties; petitioners were permitted to use witnesses rather than attend themselves; the Chief Justice’s legal representatives were denied appropriate respect and access; and there have been undue delays in resolving the disciplinary measures. The statement also references Article 146 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana on removal of justices.
The two bodies call on the President and the Executive to immediately reinstate the Chief Justice; to afford her full and fair process, including transparent access for her legal representatives; and to publish clear procedural rules and timelines to conclude the disciplinary process.
The statement closes by noting the role of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association in promoting the rule of law across the Commonwealth and the Bar Council’s representation of approximately 17,000 barristers in England and Wales.
