Lawyer Thaddeus Sory has criticised former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, suggesting that while in office, she appeared overly concerned with trivial judicial matters instead of focusing on the larger issues of justice administration.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on October 20, Mr. Sory dismissed as false the former Chief Justice’s claim that the committee investigating her acted without proper rules or transparency.
“What she is saying is completely untrue,” he said, referring to Justice Torkornoo’s assertion that the committee was applying rules that didn’t exist. “Right from the first day, the committee indicated its procedure.”
Mr. Sory recalled a June 2020 case involving a justice of the Superior Court, in which Justice Dotse called for the Rules of Court Committee to enact guidelines for proceedings under Article 146 of the Constitution.
According to him, Justice Torkornoo, who later became Chief Justice, focused on making rules that were “plainly unconstitutional” while failing to address the existing Article 146 framework.
“She became Chief Justice during the process. During that period, she spent her time making rules that were plainly unconstitutional and forgot Article 146,” Sory stated. “In any event, there is nothing wrong with Article 146.”
Providing context, the former Chief Justice has filed a legal challenge to halt the vetting and appointment of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
Her suit seeks to nullify all actions taken by the Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang Committee, which investigated petitions leading to her removal from office.
Justice Torkornoo is asking the High Court to declare the committee’s proceedings invalid and to nullify the Presidential Warrant that effected her removal, describing it as illegal.
Responding to those claims, Sory, who participated in the committee hearings, said the process was fair and transparent.
“Is it that she wasn’t served with any processes? She was not allowed to use her lawyers, or things were done ex parte? No, she sat there,” he said.
He added that witnesses, including the former Chief Justice’s own employees, testified about her actions during the proceedings.
Sory expressed surprise that the country’s former top judge appeared to have involved herself in minor court matters.
“I’m saying that the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana is so concerned about matters as low as the matters pending before a district court in Kasoa,” he said.
He alleged that Justice Torkornoo personally intervened in a case before the Kasoa court, instructing the registrar to reverse a lawful step in executing a judgment.
“She can call the registrar and tell the registrar that a step you have taken to execute the judgment of the court should be reversed,” he recounted.
According to Sory, when confronted with these claims, the suspended Chief Justice simply denied any recollection.
“She said she doesn’t even remember,” he said. “She’s been told the suit number, the court, and the title of the case. Couldn’t she just have called to find out what case this is, because I’m alleged to have interfered in it?”
Justice Torkornoo’s challenge comes as Parliament’s Appointments Committee prepares to vet Justice Baffoe-Bonnie for the position of Chief Justice.
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