The ECOWAS Court of Justice has adjourned its ruling on an application filed by suspended former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, who is seeking to halt domestic removal proceedings against her in Ghana.
The case, registered as ECW/CCJ/APP/32/25, is part of a broader legal challenge in which she is also asking the regional court for provisional measures, including the suspension of Ghana’s impeachment and removal process, as well as her reinstatement with full benefits pending the final determination of the case.
During proceedings, Torkornoo’s legal team argued that the process leading to her suspension and subsequent removal breached her fundamental human rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly the right to fair hearing, dignity, and due process.
They maintained that continuing with the domestic process would cause irreparable damage to her reputation and judicial standing.
The Government of Ghana, however, strongly opposed the application. State lawyers argued that the matter is strictly governed by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and that the ECOWAS Court lacks jurisdiction to interfere in ongoing domestic constitutional and judicial processes.
They also maintained that the removal process followed due constitutional procedure, including petitions, Council of State review, and a committee of inquiry.
The ECOWAS Court also considered preliminary objections raised by Ghana regarding jurisdiction, with the state insisting that the matter was already concluded under domestic law and therefore not subject to regional intervention.
After hearing both sides, the Court did not deliver a ruling on the day of hearing. Instead, it adjourned the matter, stating that the date for its decision will be communicated to the parties later.
This adjournment keeps the legal battle unresolved for now, as the court continues to weigh whether it has jurisdiction to intervene in Ghana’s removal process for the former Chief Justice.
