Acting CEO of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and NDC Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has called for restraint in the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, emphasizing constitutional procedures must run their course.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints (July 5), Tameklo noted the Chief Justice’s legal team is robustly defending her before the presidential committee investigating removal petitions.
“Let the rule of law prevail. The suspended Chief Justice is represented by respected lawyers,” Tameklo stated, responding to renewed calls from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to review the suspension. GBA President Effua Ghartey had earlier warned the move risks judicial independence, citing historical context during the Martyrs’ Day commemoration honoring judges murdered in 1982.
President John Mahama suspended Torkornoo on April 22 after the Council of State advised a prima facie case existed regarding three petitions. A five-member committee—chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang—is now investigating. The GBA contends the suspension sets a “troubling precedent,” urging reconciliation to preserve judicial credibility.
The process follows Article 146 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which mandates presidential consultation with the Council of State and committee review before judicial removal. Torkornoo has formally responded to the allegations.
