Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo (born 11 September 1962) is a Ghanaian judge, author and reform-minded court administrator. She served as the 15th Chief Justice of Ghana from June 12, 2023 until September 1, 2025, when she was removed from office by President John Dramani Mahama following a committee inquiry that recommended her dismissal; she denies wrongdoing.
Early Life & Education
- Born in Cape Coast; hails from Winneba, Central Region, Ghana.
- Educated at Wesley Girls’ High School and Achimota School.
- Earned a BA in Law & Sociology from the University of Ghana (1984); BL from the Ghana School of Law (1986).
- Holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International Law & Organization from the International Institute of Social Studies (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (2001) and an LL.M in Intellectual Property Law from Golden Gate University School of Law (2011).
Legal Career (Timeline)
-
- Private practice: FIDA Legal Aid (volunteer/NSS), Fugar & Co. (associate director); co-founded Sozo Law Consult (Managing Partner, 1997–2004).
- Bench:
- High Court Judge: May 14, 2004 – Oct 2012.
- Court of Appeal: Oct 2012 – Dec 2019.
- Supreme Court: Nominated Nov 2019; sworn Dec 17, 2019.
- Chief Justice: Sworn June 12, 2023.
- Committees & leadership: Long-time chair of the E-Justice Committee (court automation and e-judgments); Supervising Judge, Commercial Courts; led elements of the UK-funded Business Environment Engineering Project that fed into civil-procedure reforms (C.I. 133, 2020).
- Notable panel work: Member of the 2020 presidential election petition panel.
Tenure as Chief Justice (2023–2025): Priorities & Reforms
Access to justice / case backlogs: Launched Small Claims & Debt Recovery courts (pilot in 12 district courts across Accra & Kumasi) to accelerate low-value disputes and credit recovery (August 2024).
Digitisation: Continued expansion of e-filing/e-judgment systems and court automation through the Judicial Service’s E-Justice program.
Writing & Public Engagement
Beyond the robes, Torkornoo is a published poet and playwright and runs the “JustTrudy” blog focused on leadership and Christian reflections. Works include The Wise Still Hear the Birds: Poems from an African Soul and other poetry/plays; she’s also authored legal texts.
2025 Controversy, Suspension & Removal
Suspension (April 22, 2025): President Mahama, after Council of State consultation, suspended the Chief Justice and set up a five-member Article 146 committee to investigate three petitions. Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie (the most senior judge) acted as Chief Justice.
Removal (September 1, 2025): Following the committee’s report recommending dismissal for “misbehaviour,” the President removed her from office. She has rejected the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.
Local confirmations: Ghana’s state and major private outlets reported the removal and the Presidency noted receipt of the committee’s report the same day.
Acting leadership updates: With her suspension/exit, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie served as Acting CJ; when he temporarily travelled in August 2025, Justice Gabriel Pwamang acted.
Latest Updates (as of September 3, 2025)
Dismissal confirmed by international and local media on September 1, 2025.
Post-removal status debate: Ghanaian outlets are discussing whether removal as Chief Justice also ousts her from the Supreme Court; reporting notes the presidential instrument removed her from both roles.
Litigation at ECOWAS Court: Coverage indicates she has sought a default judgment in her ECOWAS Court suit (filed July 4, 2025) against the Government of Ghana.
Context analysis: Commentators call the April suspension unprecedented in Ghana’s Fourth Republic and note the Supreme Court upheld the suspension in May 2025.
Personal
Public profiles and interviews describe her as active in Christian ministry and civic leadership networks; she has written poetry, plays, and legal works and has been associated with Aglow International and Theovision International.
Selected Works & Resources
Books/Poetry: The Wise Still Hear the Birds (poems); other poetry and legal titles.
Blog: JustTrudy (essays on leadership, faith, and society).
Fast Facts
Third woman to serve as Chief Justice of Ghana.
Introduced small-claims/debt recovery pilot courts; pushed e-justice and civil-procedure streamlining.
Term as CJ: June 12, 2023 – Sept 1, 2025.
