The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has stated that the removal of Justice Gertrude Araba Torkonoo from the office of the Chief Justice will hurt future Chief Justices.
“People must always think about tomorrow because a certain precedent is being set that blots the beautiful democracy we otherwise have,” he said.
Speaking at a leaders’ media briefing in Parliament last Wednesday, Mr Afenyo-Markin said Mr Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was being nominated at a time a matter was pending in the Ghanaian court and the ECOWAS court where there was an interim relief being sought by Mrs Justice Torkonoo.
“As we speak, the Attorney-General has not filed a process to respond to the substantive matter at least through the press release that was put out by My Ladyship Chief Justice.
Death warrant
Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that Mrs Justice Torkonoo had a case in court challenging the constitutionality of the actions that had been brought against her, raising issues of procedural irregularities.
“These are matters that are before the Supreme Court and the High Court and if you see the rate at which the SC itself moved with some speed to expeditiously hear the injunction application, yet failed to expeditiously determine the substance of the matter.
Travesty of justice
The Minority Leader said his caucus viewed the conduct of the Justice Gabriel Pwamang Committee as a travesty of justice.
He said what the committee had done- the purported recommendation- should prick the conscience of all the committee members.
He said a referral was made to the committee, which had four of its members as judges, made up of a retired Supreme Court judge and two sitting SC judges.
“You have three petitions before you and you are done with the hearing of one and you tell the respondent, being Her Ladyship Justice Araba Torkonoo and her lawyers, that come back on the 15th for us to begin the hearing of the second petition.
“Then suddenly the second petitioners’ lawyers write for a long adjournment and out of the blue, a report is purportedly made recommending her removal and within two hours the report is fully studied and the recommendation as made is complied with or adhered to or a decision taken,” he said.
Democracy
Given the hurried manner the Pwamang Committee recommended Mrs Justice Torkonoo’s removal, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the committee had reduced Ghana’s democracy to “something that cannot have a phrase to describe”.
“That you are a constitutional committee under Article 146, and you have been given a docket to handle.
You are not done with the hearing, but you say you are done with a decision.
“I am sure if our friends (NDC) were in opposition and this had happened under the NPP, hell would have broken loose,” he said.
The MP for Effutu explained that, unlike the current administration, the NPP would follow due process and engage the attention of the country, saying that “that is why we keep raising the debate”.
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