‘Torkornoo appointment was not difficult to make; Kufuor and Mahama had a hand' — Akufo-Addo

President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo has sworn into office Ghana’s new Chief Justice Gertrude Essaba Sackey Torkornoo.

The President described Gertrude Torkonoo’s appointment as an easy choice and one with unlevelled qualifications.

Nana Akufo-Addo in a statement dated June 12 described her as an experienced and hardworking personality in the Judiciary who merits her role as the Chief Justice of Ghana.

“Justice Torkornoo is the 15^th chief justice was not particularly a difficult one to make, in view of her unlevelled qualification, the number of year served in distinction, the better the record of Judicature, initially the high court, the court of appeal and finally the Supreme Court and the considerable experience garnered as a result, indeed the council of state conveyed to me by hand as a sign of respected chairperson Nana Otuo Siriboe the second being the successful completion of this consultative process noted in his advisory letter of 25^th April 2023, members of Council both to know the nominee both in her private and public life, vouch for her discipline, integrity, efficiency and above all her God-fearing nature, this are the attributes essential for the position of the high court,” Nana Akufo-Addo announced.

He indicated that Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo has been appointed under the past administrations to various high offices in the judiciary - making her ideal for the job.

“After graduating from the law school Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, worker and legal practitioner of the well-known Accra-based law firm, after seven years as an associate, she became director of the firm. In 2004 was appointed by the second President of the fourth republic his excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, my own boss to the high court where she served eight years and was given the responsibility for negotiating pre-trial settlement conferences, in October 2012 she was appointed by the fourth president of the fourth republic his excellency John Dramani Mahama as the justice of the court of appeal, a position she held for seven years, I have had the honor in 2019 to appoint her to the supreme court, all three presidents living president in the republic had a hand in her judicial advancement.”

She takes over from Justice Anin Yeboah who went on mandatory retirement a few weeks ago.

Justice Torkornoo becomes the third female chief Justice in the history of the country.

The expectations are that she will lead the charge in reforming justice delivery.