Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa Asare, has urged President John Dramani Mahama and Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine to ignore calls from the Minority in Parliament to publicly respond to recent claims by suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Responding to the Minority demands for explanations from the President and the Attorney General regarding the Chief Justice’s recent remarks, Mr. Ansa Asare described their request as “misguided and unconstitutional.”
Justice Torkornoo, in her first public comments since facing investigations on three petitions for her removal, claimed there were breaches in procedure, violations of her human rights, and suggested a “grand conspiracy” against her.
Addressing journalists on Friday, June 27, the Manhyia South MP, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, criticised the government’s silence as unacceptable.
However, in an interview with Joy FM, Mr. Ansa Asare defended the government’s approach, citing Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which outlines the procedure for removing a Chief Justice.
“The President and the Attorney General have a constitutional obligation to remain silent,” he stated. “Once the President establishes a committee to investigate, his role ceases until a report is submitted. Any response outside this process violates the Constitution.”
He stressed that both the President and the Attorney General must respect the legal boundaries of their roles and not interfere in an ongoing constitutional process.
Mr. Ansa Asare went further, criticising the Minority for what he called unconstitutional and politically motivated actions.
“There is a leadership crisis in the NPP. Since the deaths of some prominent people, the party has been without a capable leader. There appears to be in disarray,” he remarked.
“The Minority makes ugly noises to create the impression that the NPP is still a viable political force. But in doing so, they are acting unconstitutionally,” he argued.
Reflecting on the past administration, Mr Ansa Asare said: “During former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s tenure, the judiciary was bastardised. The Minority’s current posture seems to be a misguided attempt to undo that damage.”
“Should the President respond, he would be violating the presidential oath he swore before the people—to defend and uphold the Constitution,” he advised.
Describing the Minority’s demand as a “desperate and ill-advised move,” he said: “It’s like a wailing child who needs parental attention. If they feel fatherless, they should return to their party headquarters, hold an internal review, and resolve their issues rather than plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis.”
He argued that the Minority’s approach would not solve past grievances but instead risked creating new constitutional complications.
“They [Minority] do not deserve media attention on this matter,” he said.
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