Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has alleged that she was subjected to mental torture and degrading treatment by the committee investigating petitions for her removal from office.
In a supplementary affidavit filed on Monday, May 26, Justice Torkornoo claimed her constitutional rights have been repeatedly violated throughout the proceedings.
“I respectfully seek leave of this Honourable Court to bring to the Court’s attention various developments since the filing of the present application which evidence a complete desecration of my basic constitutional rights to a fair trial, violation of my dignity and subjection to inhuman and degrading treatment,” she wrote.
The Chief Justice described the conduct of the hearing as discriminatory, revealing that while petitioners’ lawyers had access to phones and laptops, she and her legal team were denied the same.
“Even my husband and children were barred from entering the hearing room,” she added.
Torkornoo further lamented being subjected to body searches and raised concerns about the unusual choice of venue for the hearing — the high-security Castle, Osu — instead of a judicial facility.
“That all article 146 proceedings with the exception of the one I am being subjected to, had hitherto, been held in a judicial facility… The location of proceedings affecting me to a cordoned high security facility boggles the mind,” she stated.
Her affidavit underscores growing concerns over transparency and fairness in high-profile judicial disciplinary processes.
The hearing continues amidst national debate over the implications of her suspension and the conduct of the committee tasked with determining her fate.