The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Mrs. Efua Ghartey, has rejected allegations that the association has been selective in its recent advocacy efforts.
Speaking at the opening of the GBA’s 2025 Annual Conference in Wa on Monday, Mrs. Ghartey defended the association’s position on the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. While acknowledging that Article 146 of the Constitution allows for such a removal, she questioned the fairness and transparency of the process followed.
Her comments were in response to earlier remarks by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic A. Ayine, who had criticised the Bar’s advocacy outside the courtroom as inconsistent—despite its strong record within the judiciary.
Mrs. Ghartey argued that the lack of clear, detailed regulations on how Article 146 should be applied leaves the process open to “arbitrariness and unfairness.”
“The absence of a formal legal framework for the removal of the fourth most senior official in the country is deeply troubling. The applicable rules should have been clearly known before the process began. Setting such a precedent is unfair and needs to be addressed—especially if we are to uphold the principles of justice,” she stated.
She further emphasised that the GBA is constitutionally obligated to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, a duty the association has consistently fulfilled.
“The Bar has always stood firm in defending judicial independence,” she stressed.
