Don’t remove Chief Justice on trivial grounds – Manhyia South MP cautions

Manhyia South MP, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has issued a warning. He cautioned against attempts to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo. He described these attempts as based on trivial grounds. Awuah believes such actions could threaten Ghana's judiciary independence.

On April 17, he spoke on Citi FM's Eyewitness News. He emphasized the importance of understanding constitutional provisions for removing a Chief Justice. The Constitution mentions "stated misbehaviour" and "incompetence" as grounds for removal. However, the interpretation of these terms is left to the President and the Council of State.

Awuah explained that while grounds are stated, their meaning is not clear-cut. What constitutes misbehaviour or incompetence depends on the discretion of the President and Council. This ambiguity was intentional in the Constitution.

He warned that without strong justification, removing the Chief Justice could undermine judicial independence. It may place the judiciary under executive control. Awuah stressed that if there are no serious issues, we should not remove the Chief Justice. Doing so risks making the judiciary subordinate to the executive branch.