Former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has withdrawn her application for review of the Supreme Court’s ruling dated May 28, 2026, in which the apex court consolidated two high-profile writs concerning her removal from office.
According to a Notice of Withdrawal filed on June 26, 2026, by her lawyer Kwabena Adu-Kusi of Adu-Kusi PRUC, the former Chief Justice has pulled the review application she filed on June 23, 2026.
“Please Take Notice that the Plaintiff in Writ No. J1/22/25, hereby withdraws the Plaintiff’s application for a review (of the ruling of the Honourable Court dated 28th May 2026, in Writ No. J1/22/25) filed on 23rd June 2026,” the notice reads in part.
The May 28 ruling stemmed from a case management hearing in which the Supreme Court panel noted the absence of legal representation for Madam Torkornoo after her then-counsel, Godfred Yeboah Dame, filed a notice of withdrawal on the morning of the hearing.
The Court described the withdrawal notice as defective, proceeded to adopt the memorandum of issues, and consolidated Writ No. J1/22/25 (filed by the former Chief Justice against the Attorney-General and members of the Article 146 Committee) with Writ No. J1/20/25 filed by the Centre for Citizenship Constitutional Electoral Systems LBG (CenCES). The consolidated matters were adjourned for judgment.
In her now-withdrawn review application, Torkornoo had argued that the proceedings on May 28 occurred without proper representation, constituting a breach of the rules of natural justice and warranting a review under Article 133 of the 1992 Constitution.
Madam Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was removed from office on September 1, 2025, by President John Dramani Mahama following recommendations of a five-member committee chaired by His Lordship Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang. She subsequently filed her own suit (J1/22/25) challenging aspects of the process.
The CenCES suit (J1/20/25) had earlier sought to restrain the removal process. The Supreme Court had previously dismissed related injunction applications.
