The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has sent its goodwill message to the newly appointed Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo, to continue her hard work and diligence, which led to her promotion.
The JUSAG urged Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo to emulate her predecessor Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.
The secretary of JUSAG, Yakubu Abdulai, said Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is friendly and welcomes everyone that comes to his abode.
Consequently, he entreated Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to open her arms to all persons who might need her help on issues regarding the Judicial System management.
“With the current Chief Justice (Justice Anin-Yeboah), we are cool, his doors are always open, and the support has been massive. That was why we gave him the honour of the most labour-friendly CJ of all time in the Judiciary, and we are hoping that when our mother, the Lady CJ comes in, she is going to break that record and make her doors open 24/7 for us to come and address issues of labour, issues bordering on our promotions, issues bordering on training and retraining of staff, and issues bordering on disciplinary matters when it comes up,” he said on Citi TV.
If approved by Parliament, Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo will be the third female Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed her on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
The other two female Chief Justices who have served in the country are Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, who retired in 2017 and Justice Sophia Abena Boafoa Akuffo, who went on retirement in 2019.
Before her appointment, Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo was a Supreme Court Judge.
The 60 years old Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has been a member of the Judicial Service for the past 19 years.
Her eminent appointment, according to President Akufo-Addo, is to avoid any vacuum that would occur following the retirement of the current Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah on May 24.
“Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah is due to retire from the bench on May 24, 2023, his seventieth birthday. In order to avoid a vacuum and ensure that a new Chief Justice is immediately in office after his retirement”.
“I have decided to begin the process of appointment now. Article 144 (1) of the constitution, which governs the appointment of a Chief Justice, requires that I first consult with the Council of State before seeking the approval of Parliament”.
“Consequently, I am nominating Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, a member of the Supreme Court, as the new Chief Justice. I hereby enclose a copy of her curriculum vitae for your attention,” portions of the appointment letter indicated.
Meanwhile, Parliament is yet to vet and approve Justice Gertrude’s nomination to prove whether she qualifies for the position or otherwise.