The Supreme Court of Ghana has, by a narrow 3:2 majority decision, dismissed an injunction application seeking to restrain President John Mahama from proceeding with the process to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

The court also unanimously overruled a preliminary objection raised by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, who had challenged the participation of Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie in the hearing. Dame argued that Baffoe-Bonnie should have recused himself from presiding over the matter due to a potential conflict of interest, but the court dismissed the objection without dissent.

In the substantive ruling, the five-member panel delivered a split decision.

Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Justice Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, and Justice Amadu Tanko formed the majority that voted to dismiss the injunction application.

Meanwhile, Justice Yonni Kulendi and Justice Ernest Gaewu dissented, siding with the applicants who sought to halt the removal process.

The injunction application was part of a broader legal challenge seeking to stop President Mahama from initiating or continuing any proceedings aimed at removing Chief Justice Torkornoo from office.

The court’s majority ruling clears the path for the continuation of the constitutional process initiated by the president, despite the ongoing legal contestations.

This decision marks a significant development in the unfolding legal and political controversy surrounding the future of the Chief Justice and the independence of the judiciary in Ghana.