‘Not everything done under the law is right’ — Kwasi Kwarteng on CJ Torkonoo’s removal

A member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team and legal practitioner, Kwasi Kwarteng, has criticised the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo.

President John Dramani Mahama announced Justice Torkonoo’s removal from office on Monday, September 1, after the probing committee found her guilty of misconduct.

In their defence of the move, several NDC members and communicators have argued that the removal process followed Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

However, speaking on Accra-based Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Tuesday, Mr. Kwarteng said the fact that a decision is backed by law does not always make it right.

He cautioned that the country risks setting a dangerous precedent if such actions are justified solely on legal grounds.

“The fact that things are done under the umbrella of the law does not necessarily make those things legally right, because even bad laws are also laws,” he said.

The lawyer cited historical examples such as apartheid in South Africa and the slave trade to emphasise that legality does not always equal justice.

He further asserted that President Mahama’s decision had lowered the standing of the judiciary and could erode public confidence in the institution.

“What President Mahama has succeeded in doing is not only to bring down the image of the judiciary to its lowest moment, but what makes me scared is how now judges may be forced to align with the political party that is in power,” Mr. Kwarteng stated.