Removal of CJ Torkornoo is dangerous precedent

Mr Frank Adjei-Worlanyo, the Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akan Constituency of the Oti Region, has described the removal of Chief Justice (CJ) Madam Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office as a dangerous precedent.

He said it is a precedent that could reshape the future of Ghana's judiciary in a deeply troubling way.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Adjei-Worlanyo stated that the removal of the CJ suggests that the tenure of the judicial office may now become coterminous with the political administration of the day, especially with a change in government.

“This is not only unsettling, but also deeply damaging to the independence of the judiciary,” he said.

He further warned that such development risks compromising a sacred institution.

According to him, if the judiciary must now yield to the whims and caprices of the ruling party, then the rule of law—the bedrock of any democratic society—would become the first casualty.

“Let us not forget: the judiciary is the only arm of government entrusted exclusively with upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the constitutional rights of all citizens,” he noted.

Mr Adjei-Worlanyo added that any attempt to politicize or manipulate the judiciary is tantamount to tampering with the very soul of the 1992 Constitution.

“This decision is not only strange—it is deeply regrettable. It must be condemned in no uncertain terms. I believe strongly that with time and the benefit of hindsight, the President himself will look back and say, 'I wish it had never happened.”

He called for national vigilance, stressing that the erosion of one institution could lead to a domino effect.

“We must all be vigilant. Today it is a Chief Justice—tomorrow, it could be any institution we once thought untouchable,” he said.

GNA