The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has granted former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo leave to amend her ongoing case against the Republic of Ghana.
The decision, made on January 30, 2026, is a significant development in the regional human rights challenge initiated by Justice Torkornoo following her suspension and subsequent removal from office in 2025.
Justice Torkornoo, who was appointed Chief Justice of Ghana in June 2023 and dismissed in September 2025, filed the original suit at the ECOWAS Court in July 2025. Her filings allege that her rights were violated during the process leading to her suspension by President John Dramani Mahama and subsequent removal following recommendations from a constitutional committee established under Article 146 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The amended application will allow her legal team to include her dismissal from office in the same suit, rather than pursuing separate legal actions for different aspects of her allegations. At the hearing, her lawyers argued that proceeding with separate cases would be inefficient and requested consolidation of the matters into one comprehensive application.
The application to amend the case was opposed by state lawyers, who argued that expanding the scope of the suit could prolong the proceedings unnecessarily.
However, the three-member panel at the ECOWAS Court ruled in favour of the former Chief Justice and granted leave for the amendment. The court has ordered the Republic of Ghana to file its response to the amended suit within 30 days. The matter will return to the court for further directions once the State’s response is filed.
Justice Torkornoo’s case centres on alleged breaches of her human rights guaranteed under both Ghana’s Constitution and the ECOWAS Protocol on the Community Court of Justice. She is seeking reliefs that include declarations that her rights were violated and potential compensation; her lawyers have indicated that the amended filing will capture all aspects of her claims.