Torkornoo may have knowingly breached constitutional provisions – Victoria Bright
Lawyer and entrepreneur Victoria Bright has stated that suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo may have knowingly violated constitutional guidelines when she publicly addressed her suspension and the ongoing Article 146 proceedings.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, June 28, Ms. Bright suggested that Justice Torkornoo, fully aware of the legal risks, might have spoken out due to frustration.
“If she is cited [for contempt], then I guess she would have brought it on herself,” Ms. Bright said. “She’s the Chief Justice, and she understands the law. So she would have weighed the possibility of this happening and decided that, on balance, she preferred to come out and take the risk.”
Justice Torkornoo held a press briefing on June 25, where she criticised the secretive nature of the committee investigating her and questioned the legality of parts of the process. She referred to the proceedings as taking place “in the darkness of Adu Lodge.”
Her public remarks have raised questions about whether she breached constitutional rules requiring such investigations to be held privately.
Ms. Bright noted that although it’s up to the committee to decide how to respond to the CJ’s actions, her move to speak publicly fell outside the constitutional process.
“She went outside the sanctity of the proceedings… and addressed Ghanaians,” Ms. Bright said. “It sounded like she wanted to put her case before the public and have the public act as judge and jury. I’m not really in favour of that.”
She added that the Article 146 process is difficult for all public officials, and Justice Torkornoo should not expect exceptions.
“The ones who have been through it have all had to endure it. So I don’t think there should be special treatment because Her Ladyship is the Chief Justice,” she said.
On the issue of political perception, Ms. Bright observed that the involvement of known New Patriotic Party figures in the CJ’s legal team, along with support from National Democratic Congress MPs, has unfortunately politicised the situation.
“When you weigh the situation on balance, and the comments coming through, I’m not sure she’s gained the sympathy she was hoping for,” she noted. “The perception matters—and right now, it’s being framed as NPP versus NDC, and it shouldn’t be.”
She acknowledged that the CJ has the right to choose her legal team but said the political optics might be harming her case.
“Of course, she wants to have people whom she feels comfortable with, but it actually entrenches some of the views that people hold, rightly or wrongly. I’m not saying that’s wrong or right, but I’m just stating the facts as they are. And so I would wish that the unnecessary or undue politicization of this whole thing is toned down.”
Justice Torkornoo has filed applications in court challenging the legality of the proceedings and requesting that the hearings be made public.