The government is set to introduce new constitutional procedures to govern the removal of Justices of the Superior Courts, including the Chief Justice, as part of wider judicial reforms aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability within the judiciary.
The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, during the official opening of the Second Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
His remarks come in the wake of the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, after a prima facie case was established based on three separate petitions seeking her removal.
President Mahama has since constituted a five-member committee to investigate the allegations, further intensifying national conversations around judicial accountability.
Mr. Ayariga stated that the government is working to establish clearer and more robust procedural rules for the removal of judges from the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.
He acknowledged that such reforms would require amendments to entrenched provisions of the 1992 Constitution, a process that demands both parliamentary approval and a national referendum.
He revealed that the Attorney General will soon present several key pieces of subsidiary legislation to Parliament.
These legislative proposals, according to him, are part of efforts by President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to fast-track judicial and legal reforms aimed at deepening democratic governance and reinforcing institutional integrity.
Mr. Ayariga reaffirmed President Mahama’s commitment to ensuring legislative clarity and transparency regarding the constitutional processes involved in removing Superior Court justices.
He said, “The Attorney General will also present several pieces of subsidiary legislation, including the Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Regulations, Court of Appeal Rules, EOCO (Operations) Regulations, EOCO (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, High Court (Civil Procedure) (Amendment) Rules, Interpretation Regulations, Judicial Service (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, Legal Aid Commission Regulations, Supreme Court Rules, and most significantly removal from Office of Justices of the Supreme Court Rules. The President is committed to legislative clarity and transparency regarding the constitutional processes for the removal of justices of the Superior Courts.”
