The Supreme Court has dismissed the injunction application filed by Old Tafo MP, Vincent Assafuah, which sought to prevent the petition for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo from proceeding.
This ruling came after Godfred Dame, the lawyer for Assafuah, withdrew the suit aimed at blocking the President from submitting the petition to the Council of State.
Before the dismissal, the Court unanimously rejected an objection raised by Godfred Dame concerning Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie presiding over the case. Dame had argued that Baffoe-Bonnie’s involvement was inappropriate, claiming that the Acting Chief Justice stood to be personally affected by the outcome of the petition.
However, the Court ruled that Baffoe-Bonnie could continue to oversee the case, asserting that the judicial process would be properly upheld.
On May 6, during court proceedings, Dame’s objection was firmly dismissed, with Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai countering the claim that Baffoe-Bonnie’s position posed any conflict of interest.
In an earlier development, Dame had contended that the consultation process with the Council of State should be put on hold, citing the injunction application. However, Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine countered, affirming that no law bars the President from fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities.
President John Dramani Mahama had already referred three petitions requesting the removal of Chief Justice Torkornoo to the Council of State for advice, in line with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
The petitions, submitted by various individuals, urged the President to take action, with the process now advancing under constitutional procedures. The Chief Justice has since responded to the petitions, emphasizing that constitutional duties must not be obstructed by injunctions.
