Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu is calling for urgent constitutional reforms to safeguard judicial independence in Ghana, following the recent removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo. Speaking on the Point of View on Channel One TV on Monday, September 1, Kpebu reiterated long-standing concerns over the powers granted to the President under Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution, which gives the executive the authority to appoint the Chief Justice.
“To give judicial independence, we had started making a lot of noise, advocating since last year when her letter to Akufo-Addo came out,” he said. “In the Constitution, we don’t want the President to be the one to appoint the CJs under Article 144. We don’t want it, so we want 144 out.”
Kpebu believes removing presidential influence from the appointment process is key to ensuring the judiciary remains impartial and protected from political pressures.
In addition to advocating for changes to Article 144, Kpebu also called for a clearer framework for assessing judicial misconduct.
“One of the things we should do is that we should be able to categorise—to know what are serious offences and what are minors,” he said.
According to him, without proper categorisation, there is a risk that minor infractions could be treated with the same severity as serious breaches, leading to disproportionate outcomes such as removal from office.
Kpebu’s remarks have deepened the public debate on reviewing constitutional provisions affecting the separation of powers and the independence of key institutions.
Source: Abigail Arthur
