The Associates Ghana has noted with concern the recent call by the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association demanding the reinstatement of the suspended Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude Torkunor.
The Group in a statement dated 16th August, 2025, notes, “We understand the call is based on the claim that the suspension breaches international principles of judicial independence.
As an independent civil body, we reject this call very vehemently and affirm that Ghana is a sovereign state governed by the 1992 Constitution”.
The Statement signed by, Julius Blay the
Executive Secretary of the Associates, explained how the Constitution of Ghana sets out a clear and binding procedure under Article 146 for handling petitions against the Chief Justice and other Superior Court judges-Once such a petition is admitted, suspension is not a matter of choice – it is a constitutional requirement.
He said to comply with this foreign demand, “would mean setting aside the Constitution of Ghana, which is the supreme law of the land.
It would also mean setting aside the rulings of the Supreme Court of Ghana, which have already upheld aspects of the suspension process.
It would further mean setting aside the authority of the State to govern its matters of legal jurisprudence and prudence”.
According to him, any other decision would amount to undermining the independence of Ghana’s legal institutions by suggesting that international opinion carries more weight than domestic law.
“It would also weaken public trust in the rule of law, since premature reinstatement would appear to be driven by external pressure instead of due process, he submitted.
Such steps would dangerously erode Ghana’s sovereignty and weaken the very foundations of judicial independence.
“We at Associates Ghana believe that the call has no basis and that the legal system already initiated should continue. The final resolution, whichever way it goes, will be the supreme application of the law and must be respected.”
Associates Ghana, however, recognizes and values international cooperation, but no foreign body should dictate outcomes that directly contradict Ghana’s Constitution and judicial processes. True independence of the judiciary is achieved when the law of the land is respected and allowed to run its course without interference.
The suspension of the Chief Justice remains a domestic constitutional matter, fully under the jurisdiction of Ghana’s own legal and investigative processes, and “We therefore urge all parties to respect this process and allow the rule of law to prevail”, the statement concluded.
