Elizabeth Mould Iddrisu
Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould Iddrisu, has advised the nominee for Ghana's next Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Araba Esabaa Torkornoo, to defend justice in an impartial and professional manner if he is approved by Parliament.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Araba Esabaa Torkornoo to replace Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who is retiring on May 24, this year, as Ghana's next Chief Justice.
In a letter to the Council of State, President Akufo-Addo stated that Justice Torkornoo, who has served on the Supreme Court for the past four (4) years and as a member of the Judiciary for the past nineteen (19) years, is duly qualified and eminently qualified to perform the duties of Chief Justice.
On the Class Morning Show on April 26, 2023, in response to her nomination, Madam Mould told host Koku Lumor, "We knew it was coming, we've been following the event, and she should try to defend justice in an impartial and professional manner."
"I hope she proves the adage that women are superior administrators to men."
Madam Mould added, "I know she knows something about intellectual property rights and gender rights because she worked at FIDA with some of us a few years ago, so let's see what she can do; we are watching her very closely because Ghana must be rescued from the current administration."
Description of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
Judge Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo was born on 11 September 1962 in Ghana. She was nominated to the Supreme Court in November 2019 and was approved by the legislature in December 2019. She was inaugurated on December 17, 2019.
She has served as a judge in Ghana since 2004 and was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019. She was one of the first Justices of the Commercial Division of the High Court and has been active in the Judiciary and Judicial Service of Ghana's fundamental reform agenda and activities since 2005.
Childhood and Education
Gertrude Torkornoo is from the Central Region of Ghana, Winneba. She received her ordinary level certificate from Wesley Girls' High School and her advanced level certificate from Achimota School, both of which she attended.
She attended the University of Ghana and graduated in 1986 from the Ghana School of Law.
She earned a Postgraduate Diploma in International Law and Organization from Erasmus University's International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Netherlands in 2001. In 2011, she graduated with an LLM in Intellectual Property Law from Golden Gate University in the United States.
Prior to becoming an associate at Fugar & Co., a law firm in Accra, Justice Torkornoo volunteered at the FIDA Legal Aid Service and interned at Nabarro Nathanson in London. In 1994, she rejoined the company (Fugar & Co.) as a director.
She co-founded Sozo Law Consult in January 1997, where she served as Managing Partner until 14 May 2004, when she was appointed to the High Court of Ghana.
She served as a High Court judge until she was elevated to the Court of Appeal in October 2012. In November of 2019, Justice Torkornoo was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ghana.
She was inaugurated on December 17, 2019