Hot SourcePresident John Dramani Mahama has set the stage for a major shake-up in Ghana’s judiciary, firing Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo and preparing to hand the top judicial seat to Supreme Court judge Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
The decision, announced on Monday, 1 September 2025, follows a damning report from a constitutional committee set up under Article 146(6), which found enough grounds to recommend her removal. Acting on that recommendation, Mahama invoked Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution to dismiss Justice Torkornoo — the second Chief Justice in Ghana’s history to be forced out of office under constitutional provisions.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who has been serving as Acting Chief Justice since 22 April 2025, is now tipped to be confirmed as the substantive head of the judiciary. Appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2008 by then-President John Agyekum Kufuor, he is among the most senior justices of the apex court.
Torkornoo’s dramatic exit closes a controversial chapter in her judicial leadership. She was appointed by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in June 2023, becoming Ghana’s 15th Chief Justice. But her tenure was rocked by allegations of misconduct and questions over her handling of judicial administration — issues that triggered the constitutional petition leading to her downfall.
Under the 1992 Constitution, a Chief Justice can only be removed for stated misbehaviour, incompetence, or inability to perform the functions of the office. Such a petition must first be considered by the President, who then refers it to a committee appointed by the Judicial Council. The committee’s findings are binding, leaving the President with no option but to act if grounds for removal are established.
Parliament is now expected to go through the formalities of vetting Justice Baffoe-Bonnie before his swearing-in as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
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