The Minority in Parliament has moved to suspend all parliamentary proceedings on the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice, pending the final determination of legal cases challenging the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
It follows President John Dramani Mahama’s nomination of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to replace Justice Torkornoo, whose exit from office has triggered multiple lawsuits in the Supreme Court, High Court, and the ECOWAS Court.
The motion, officially lodged with the Clerk to Parliament, calls for an immediate freeze on activities by both the Appointments Committee and the plenary regarding Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s vetting and approval.
Quoting directly from the motion, the MPs urged Parliament to “suspend forthwith all further proceedings, both at the Appointments Committee and at Plenary, on the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice until all pending suits and applications directly bearing on the removal of Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo… are finally determined or withdrawn.”
They further requested that the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice be summoned before the House to brief members on the full status of the ongoing litigations surrounding Justice Torkornoo’s removal.
The briefing, according to the motion, should include details on “the identity, jurisdictions, and procedural status of all such proceedings; any interim or conservatory orders granted; Ghana’s international obligations under regional treaties; and the government’s assessment of the legal and constitutional implications of proceeding with a new Chief Justice while litigation is still pending.”
The motion was tabled by three MPs — Anyimadu Antwi (Asante Akim Central), John Darko (Suame), and Gloria Owusu (Trobu) — with support from Damatta Salam Ama Appianimaa (Afigya Kwabre South), Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli (Gushegu), and Kwabena Boateng (Ejisu).
Read below the statement
