Independent body should handle CJ appointments, dismissals — Ayikoi Otoo

Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, has urged the Constitutional Review Committee to revisit the constitutional provisions that grant the President authority to appoint and remove the Chief Justice.

His comments follow Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo's formal response to petitions seeking her removal from office—a response she submitted to President John Dramani Mahama and the Council of State ahead of the April 7, 2025 deadline.

President Mahama had given the Chief Justice ten days to respond to three separate petitions requesting her dismissal.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Channel One Newsroom on Monday, April 7, Ayikoi Otoo raised concerns about the neutrality of the current process.

He questioned the rationale for forming an investigative committee when the allegations may not meet the constitutional threshold for removal.

“If we are doing this in all fairness, look at the threshold; stated misbehavior, incompetence, all the complaints should be brought within these remits. If they don’t meet it, why do you go beyond that to set up a committee of enquiry to determine what? Unless you have made up your mind already that you want to remove the person. Because once you say there is a determination and you refer it to that five-member committee, whatever the people say will be the end.”

Ayikoi Otoo argued that both the appointment and removal of the Chief Justice should be handled by an independent body in consultation with Parliament, rather than left solely to the discretion of the President.

“This is not fair. In the first place, giving the power to even the president to appoint is wrong. That's why the Constitutional Review Committee is looking at it—to get an independent body to do some of these appointments with the approval of Parliament. Then the removal will follow the same procedure,” he stated.

—citinewsroom