One of the nine justices of the Supreme Court who is also the most senior on the bench, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, has taken over as the acting Chief Justice following the suspension of the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.

President Mahama announced the suspension of the Chief Justice on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, following the establishment of a committee to investigate petitions seeking her removal from office over allegations of misconduct and incompetence.

The suspension, announced in a statement from the presidency, complies with constitutional provisions and follows consultations with the Council of State.

President cited Article 146(6) of the Constitution, which mandates the establishment of a committee to probe allegations against a superior court judge if a prima facie case is established.

According to the statement, President Mahama determined that sufficient grounds exist to warrant further inquiry.

The five-member committee tasked with investigating the petitions against the Chief Justice comprises individuals from various sectors and will be chaired by Justice Gabriel Pwamang.

1.    Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang – Justice of the Supreme Court

2.    Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu – Justice of the Supreme Court

3.    Daniel Yaw Domelevo – Former Auditor-General

4.    Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo – Ghana Armed Forces

5.    Professor James Sefah Dzisah – Associate Professor, University of Ghana

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s profile

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was called to the Bar in 1981. He worked as a Circuit Court Judge in Kumasi and served as a High Court Judge at Duayaw Nkwanta in the Bono region.

Before he was appointed a Supreme Court Judge by former President of Ghana John Kufuor in June 2008, he served as an Appeals Court judge.

Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie was on the panel of Supreme Court Judges who ruled against a petition where the New Patriotic Party (NPP) asked for about four million votes to be scrapped after it was alleged to be tampered with in the 2012 Ghanaian general election.

Minority

Meanwhile the Minority has condemned the actions of President John Mahama on the suspension of the Chief Justice.

In a statement issued by the Minority in Parliament, the suspension was denounced as an affront to due process and the rule of law.

According to the statement, the timing of the suspension – while the constitutionality of the process is yet to be determined by the Court demonstrates a reckless disregard for judicial independence.

“This is judicial overreach of the highest order, a textbook case of executive interference,” the statement read.

It draws comparisons to the 1963 incident when President Kwame Nkrumah dismissed Chief Justice Sir Arku Korsah for ruling against his government.

The Minority insisted that the decision to suspend the Chief Justice represented a deliberate political move rather than a legitimate attempt at accountability, accusing President Mahama of seeking to exert political control over the judiciary.

Political vendetta or Judicial reform?

Critics claim that Mahama’s actions align with his controversial statements made in Akosombo in 2023, where he hinted at his intention to "rebalance" the judiciary by appointing judges sympathetic to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Minority in Parliament called this a politically motivated "witch-hunt" to appoint NDC-aligned judges, further undermining the judiciary’s independence.

“This is neither good governance nor a credible attempt to reset the judiciary – it is tyranny,” the statement continued. “The people of Ghana will not tolerate the subversion of judicial independence for partisan gain.”

Resistance

The statement from the Minority emphasised that any further attempts to harass, intimidate, or unlawfully remove the Chief Justice would face “fierce legal and public resistance.”

The group pledged to challenge any moves to pack the judiciary with politically compliant judges.

“We will not stand idly by while the judiciary is turned into an appendage of the Executive,” they declared.

Reinstatement,Constitutional upholding

The Minority further called for the immediate reinstatement of Chief Justice Torkornoo, pending the Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal challenges to her suspension.

They also demanded a halt to all proceedings aimed at removing the Chief Justice until the judiciary has conclusively ruled on the constitutionality of the process.

“The integrity of Ghana’s judiciary is non-negotiable,” they stated, pledging to vigorously oppose any attempts to politicise the courts.