Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has accused the five-member committee tasked by the President to investigate petitions against her of subjecting her to degrading, inhumane treatment and psychological distress.
In a newly filed document at the Supreme Court dated Monday, May 26, the Chief Justice outlines developments following her earlier legal challenge to her suspension and the committee’s inquiry.
She is also seeking an injunction to halt the committee’s work until the Supreme Court rules on the main case.
Justice Torkornoo argues that her constitutional right to a fair trial is being violated, claiming she has been treated in a manner harsher than individuals accused of serious crimes such as treason. She says she is still unclear about the exact charges against her, making it impossible to mount a proper defense.
The document recounts how she informed the committee of her legal challenge after receiving notice of an adjournment on May 22. Although the committee acknowledged receipt of her court filings, including a request for an injunction, it proceeded with its work regardless.
She also alleges procedural breaches, including the committee’s refusal to recognize her lawyer on May 15 because she was not personally present, and its decision to schedule further hearings without consulting her counsel.
Justice Torkornoo further criticizes the committee’s May 23 decision allowing the petitioners to call external witnesses instead of testifying themselves. She says this undermines the procedural fairness typically afforded in such inquiries, as petitioners are usually required to testify under oath and be subject to cross-examination.
The Chief Justice describes further humiliations, such as being searched before entry, denied access to phones and laptops—unlike the petitioners’ lawyers—and having her family barred from the hearing room.
She questions the choice of venue—the Castle, Osu, a high-security zone—suggesting it was intentionally chosen to intimidate and mentally torture her, deviating from the standard judicial setting of the Courts Complex.
Justice Torkornoo contends that the continued violations of her rights point to a politically motivated attempt to oust her from office and erode judicial independence.
She is urging the Supreme Court to grant an injunction to preserve the integrity and security of the judiciary.
