The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems (CenCES), James Kwabena Bomfeh, has questioned the continued secrecy surrounding proceedings on the possible removal of the suspended Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
He argued that public disclosure would serve the national interest rather than harm it.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 31, Mr. Bomfeh called for greater transparency in the case, which he says has deep implications for Ghana’s democratic architecture.
“Given the wide public interest in this matter, what do we lose if it is heard publicly?” he asked.
His remarks come amid growing calls for the proceedings involving Justice Torkornoo—currently suspended over allegations of misconduct—to be held in the open, with some demanding that the hearings be broadcast live.
The Chief Justice herself, through her legal team, has made a formal request for live coverage as part of her legal challenge.
Though the Supreme Court has previously ruled that such hearings be conducted in camera (behind closed doors), Mr Bomfeh argues that this should not necessarily mean total non-disclosure to the public.
Mr. Bomfeh emphasised that the handling of this case goes beyond the fate of a single judicial officer. Instead, he said, it strikes at the heart of Ghana’s constitutional framework.
“Dealing with the removal of a Chief Justice carries a weightier impact on our constitutional dispensation than the way we are going about it,” he warned. “If this had been handled properly from the start, I don’t think we would be where we are today.”
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