Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, who has been nominated by President Akufo-Addo to be the next Chief Justice of Ghana, has rejected the notion that judges are influenced by those who appoint them.
Addressing the issue during her vetting on May 26, 2023, she asserted that such a perception is incorrect and does not align with the reality of their work.
“I think if there’s such a perception, it is a wrong perception, because the load of our work with respect to the ordinary Ghanaian hardly has anything to do with appointing authorities, on a daily basis we are adjudicating tens and hundreds of cases involving the “ordinary joe”,” she said.
Justice Torkornoo expressed that most of the cases that judges handle on a daily basis have nothing to do with the appointing authority, but rather with the ordinary Ghanaian.
Highlighting the importance of independence in the judiciary, Justice Torkornoo underlined that their decisions are based on the law and by any external pressure or interference.
“Independence is always linked with law and as long as our decisions are premised on law, they must be presumed to have been arrived at independently,” she mentioned.
As the prospective leader of the judicial branch, Justice Torkornoo pledged to ensure that the public understands and respects the judicial process and the independence of judges through engagements with judges and judicial staff and the media.
“Consistent engagement with the community of Ghana, through the media regarding how the adjudication process functions and consistent engagement with judges themselves and with judicial service staff,” she explained.
Justice Torkornoo was nominated by President Akufo-Addo in April to succeed Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who retired in May.
Parliament today, Friday, May 26, vetted. Justice Gertrude Torkornoo for the post of Chief Justice.
If approved, she will be the third woman to hold the position of Chief Justice in Ghana, after Justices Georgina Theodora Wood and Sophia Akuffo.
The appointment of Justice Torkornoo represents a significant milestone in Ghana’s judicial system, underscoring the country’s commitment to upholding an independent and impartial judiciary for all.