Ishaq Ibrahim Esq, a lecturer at the UPSA Law School and a member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Communications Team, has slammed the government for what he describes as recklessness in its handling of the judiciary, following the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkonoo.
President John Mahama suspended the Chief Justice on April 22, 2025, invoking Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution after a prima facie case was established based on three separate petitions submitted against her.
The suspension was carried out in consultation with the Council of State, as required by law.
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA), in a statement, emphasized the importance of upholding constitutional principles during the ongoing process.
At the GBA’s mid-year conference, its President, Efua Ghartey, urged members to closely monitor developments to ensure justice is done and seen to be done.
She described the situation as unprecedented and called for public education on the matter.
Meanwhile, the NPP and other opposition groups have announced plans to stage a demonstration on May 5, protesting what they describe as political interference in the judiciary.
The parties says they are committed to resisting what it considers unconstitutional actions and threats to judicial independence.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Ibrahim described the government’s actions as a dangerous precedent.
Mr. Ibrahim stressed that the judiciary must remain free from political pressure, warning that any interference could threaten Ghana’s democratic foundation.
He described the government as reckless to the judiciary saying, “I think we are dealing with a reckless government when it comes to the Judiciary. In every country that has taken democracy very seriously, they have taken judiciary independence very important. It’s rightly so because countries UK and others, it is the judiciary that safeguards them. I don’t want to take you to history but I just wanted to emphasis how important the judiciary is.”
“The UK had operated in a constitutional supremacy of the king and they realised that the king has used that opportunity to abuse and violate the individuals’ right. It was the judiciary that rescued the country by moving the supremacy from the king to Parliament and they believed that parliament will safeguard them. It’s rightly so that the 1992 constitution made it clear that the independence of the judiciary is hereby guaranteed and neither the president nor parliament would take precedence over them such that the judiciary will be answerable to them.”
