Everything Ghana’s Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo said is completely wrong – Lawyer Anokye Frimpong

Legal practitioner and Historian, Lawyer Yaw Anokye Frimpong has strongly disagreed with the recent comments made by the suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, saying her public statements about the ongoing Article 146 proceedings were entirely wrong and misleading.

“Well as a lawyer, I believe that whatever she came here to say is completely wrong” he said

Speaking during a interview on GTV Breakfast Show on Thursday, June 26, 2025, Mr. Frimpong said the Chief Justice’s insistence on having a public hearing in her case violates constitutional provisions. According to him, the Constitution requires that such investigations, especially involving a Chief Justice, be held in private (in-camera) due to the sensitive nature of the office.

“She wants the process to be made public, but the Constitution does not allow that in this case. She is asking the nation to break the rules just for her. That is not right,” the lawyer stated.
Mr. Frimpong also criticized the Chief Justice’s response to allegations against her, saying she picked only parts of the petition to defend herself, instead of addressing the full content.

“You don’t just choose one or two issues and ignore the rest. If there are 30 or 50 allegations, even one proven issue can lead to your removal,” he said.

He further warned that any Chief Justice facing such an investigation should consider resigning early to protect their entitlements and legacy.

“If you resign before the report is completed, it stops the findings from becoming public, and you still go home with your benefits,” he advised.

Drawing from Ghana’s history, Mr. Frimpong referenced how former President Kwame Nkrumah dismissed a Chief Justice after a controversial case and how, in his view, the 1992 Constitution has made it easier for a sitting President to remove a Chief Justice.

He stressed that once a petition reaches the stage of a committee investigation, it is often a sign that the government may be planning to remove the judge involved. “Any wise Chief Justice should take the cue and step down quietly,” he added.

The lawyer concluded by saying that Chief Justice Torkornoo should have challenged any unfairness in court rather than making public appeals.

“You don’t win legal battles through the media. The right place to fight this is in court, not at press briefings,” he said.

Source: GBC