The future of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo as the Chief Justice of Ghana will be determined tomorrow as Parliament reconvenes to deliberate on her appointment.
Following her nomination by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Justice Torkornoo was vetted on May 26.
This vetting took place two days after Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah retired as Chief Justice upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
Following the vetting, members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority on the Appointments Committee of Parliament refrained from voting on the president's nominee for Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
In a statement issued by Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Minority Chief Whip, it was explained that the decision was due to the unavailability of the reasoned judgment of the Supreme Court regarding the case of James Gyakye Quayson.
The statement emphasized that while the same nominee had been vetted and approved by the Appointments Committee as a justice of the Supreme Court in 2019, Minority Members needed to assess the nominee's decisions on all other cases, including the James Gyakye Quayson case since the previous vetting.
Based on this development, a decision regarding the Chief Justice nominee will be made by the House on June 6.
As the house reconvenes, all eyes are on Parliament as they deliberate and make a crucial determination that will impact the judicial landscape of Ghana.
Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo