Justice Torkornoo is “merely barking” — Ansa-Asare

Kwaku Ansa-Asare, the former Director of the Ghana School of Law, has expressed serious concerns about Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s recent legal action to prevent her removal.

He characterised this attempt as “unconstitutional and very worrying”.

His comment follows Justice Torkornoo’s injunction application filed at the Supreme Court on May 21, to halt the committee established by President Mahama from proceeding with its investigation into the petitions for her removal.

This application includes a plea to prevent Justices Pwamang and Adibu-Asiedu from participating in any committee deliberations.

Ansa-Asare, in an interview, criticised the suspended Chief Justice’s action, stating it undermines the Constitution.

He accused Justice Torkornoo and her legal representatives of trying to obstruct a legitimate legal process.

“This is a very worrying unfolding story that the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo will seek to stop the constitutional process. Any application to stop the process will itself be unconstitutional,” he stated.

He clarified that, according to Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, only the President can initiate the removal of the Chief Justice following a formal petition.

“The law is that when the application involves the Chief Justice, it is the president and the president alone who may initiate the Chief Justice’s removal process pursuant to the petition to that effect,” he said.

Ansa-Asare reaffirmed that President Mahama has strictly adhered to the constitutional requirements throughout this process.

“The President has not violated any of the chronological stages in the process. Therefore, it will be a very difficult task for anyone to halt it,” he added.

He further stressed, “It will be a very difficult task for anyone to seek to halt the process. What the lawyers are doing at the moment and what the chief justice herself has done is to bark but cannot bite; they are merely barking”.