Narrow Supreme Court ruling validates legal merit of CJ suspension challenge – Dame

Former Attorney General Godfred Dame has commented on a recent Supreme Court decision. The court ruled 3-2 against an injunction regarding Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo's suspension. Dame believes this ruling shows the strength of their legal arguments, despite not favoring his side.

The injunction was filed for Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah. It aimed to stop proceedings related to the Chief Justice's removal. The application raised concerns about judicial independence and due process.

While most justices dismissed the request, two dissented. Dame noted that this dissent highlights the seriousness of the legal issues involved. He also expressed concerns about Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie overseeing a case involving the suspended Chief Justice.

In an interview after the court’s decision on May 6, Dame said, “This is incongruous in our judicial history.” He pointed out that it is strange for Baffoe-Bonnie to be part of these proceedings. He added, “The narrowness of the decision indicates that the application had merit.”

Dame mentioned they would wait for the court's full reasoning before deciding next steps. Earlier, he had raised two objections seeking Baffoe-Bonnie's recusal and a new panel for the hearing. He argued that Baffoe-Bonnie could benefit from the outcome and should step aside.

The original panel included Justices Samuel Asiedu, Ernest Gaewu, Richard Agyei Frimpong, and Yaw Asare Darko. It was initially led by Justice Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu. The new panel consists of Justices Yonny Kulendi, Amadu Tanko, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, and Ernest Gaewu.

With the injunction dismissed, the Supreme Court will now address constitutional issues surrounding Chief Justice Torkornoo's suspension.