- I write in my capacity as a Member of Parliament, and also as a deeply concerned Ghanaian and a fellow custodian of the democratic oath we have all pledged to uphold. It is with a heavy heart that I speak out against what I consider a profound and troubling affront to the very soul of our Republic โ the politically motivated suspension of Her Ladyship Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama.
- Initially, I had kept an open mind, and was observing the process unfold as my expectation was that, it would be in keeping with the law and morality. However, after reviewing the petitions and the Chief Justiceโs responses, it is clear, that no fair-minded person, on the basis of the petitions, can conclude that a prima facie case can be established against the Chief Justice. It is outrageous that the Chief Justice can be suspended from office on such frivolous claims.
3.Let history record that we did not remain silent while the last bastion of our democracy, the judiciary, was laid bare and handed over on a silver platter to political control.
4.The judiciary is not just another institution in our democracy. It is the last hope of the Ghanaian. The final refuge for the less powerful. The final voice for the voiceless. When all else fails; when Parliament becomes insanely partisan, when the Executive overreaches, it is the judiciary that provides the checks and balance.
- What does it mean, then, when the very institution entrusted with upholding justice and safeguarding our Constitution is dragged into the political boxing ringโits head unceremoniously dismantled by another arm of government, the Executiveโin a manner that appears driven by political expediency, devoid of due process and shrouded in opacity.
6.This recent action of the President creates a dangerous precedent where politicians can dictate the direction, and survival of the judiciary. This is not democracy. This is autocracy.
7.What we are witnessing is not simply a political maneuver, it is a gradual death of constitutional order, and the quiet burial of the judiciaryโs independence.
8.We must remember, that when institutions that should speak out cower in silence, they give the politician a blank cheque to repeat the cycle and when this trend becomes normalized, no citizen will be safe from political abuse, and justice will no longer be blind but replete with partisan favor.
9.Make no mistake, in all of this, it is not Justice Gertrude Torkornoo who loses. It is the Republic, Ghana. It is the institutional integrity that has been severed. It is our democracy that has taken a blow, and that may be irreparable.
10.Her Ladyship Chief Justice Torkornoo is a woman, who was confirmed by Parliament to lead the third non-political branch of government; the Judiciary.This is by all accounts still a rare occurrence for women in our society. However, it appears that she is now being vilified for her commitment to justice. May I remind that per our Affirmative Action Act,2024 (Gender Equity), 30% of our leadership positions are supposed to be held by women. We are also not unmindful of the fact that President Mahama, while campaigning, was touting gender parity in all spheres of our society. Yet, as with many other things, perhaps female participation in leadership and decision-making is simply just a pipe dream.
11.Regardless, the Ghanaian people deserve a judiciary that is independent, fearless, and protected, not one that bows to the whims of politics.
12.If the people of Ghana allow this action on the Chief Justice and the judiciary to stand, we betray the generations that fought for our freedom and we fail the generations to come.
13.Let me remind us all, that democracy dies not with a loud bang, but with a quiet surrender, one institution at a time. Today it is the judiciary, tomorrow it will be another.
14.Let us not be silent when democracy is being shredded. Let us not clap when the judiciary is captured because when the judiciary loses its independence, Freedom and Justice evaporate.
Hon. Korkor Asante is the Member Of Parliament For Atiwa West
