President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo with immediate effect and initiated an investigation following three petitions filed against her in a seismic development shaking Ghana’s legal and political establishment and triggering a high-level constitutional investigation into allegations of misconduct.

The decision follows the receipt of three formal petitions and a subsequent determination by the President and the Council of State that a prima facie case exists. Acting under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, the President has constituted a five-member committee to probe the matter.

The Chief Justice, whose name is being withheld pending formal communication, will remain suspended by presidential warrant until the investigative process concludes.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Office of the President on Tuesday.According to the statement, the President, after consultations with the Council of State, determined that a prima facie case had been established, and accordingly, a committee has been constituted to examine the petitions.

The statement, however, did not provide details regarding the specific allegations contained in each petition. At the time of filing this report, Ghana’s presidential office had yet to release full details on the matter.

Chief Justice Torkornoo, Ghana’s third female Chief Justice, was nominated by former President Nana Akufo-Addo and has served since June 2023.

She had reportedly survived an earlier removal request this year, when President Akufo-Addo stated that several deficiencies marred a petition seeking her removal from the bench.