Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has lashed out at the Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, accusing him of judicial bias and selective justice.
His criticism follows a recent Supreme Court decision to quash a bench warrant against US-based NDC activist Kelvin Taylor—an action Assafuah claims was treated with urgency, while his own constitutional case regarding the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has been left unattended for more than three months.
Assafuah, who has filed a substantive constitutional case invoking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2 and 130 of the 1992 Constitution, says it is unacceptable that the apex court has yet to fix a date for hearing his matter.
He expressed outrage that the Acting Chief Justice could swiftly prioritize and schedule the hearing of Kelvin Taylor’s case, yet show no urgency or interest in a matter that challenges the constitutionality of the Chief Justice’s removal.
“The Acting Chief Justice was able to set a date to hear Kelvin Taylor’s case within days, yet my substantive matter, which has been before the Supreme Court for over three months, is still without a date,” Assafuah said. “Even more worrying is the fact that the Attorney-General hasn’t even filed a response to my suit.”
According to him, the unequal treatment raises questions about the neutrality and priorities of the judiciary. He further argued that the court’s actions paint a disturbing picture of selective justice and erode public confidence in the legal system.
He insisted that his case, which challenges the constitutional basis for the Chief Justice’s suspension by the President, deserves immediate attention, not just for his personal interest, but for the sake of constitutional order and judicial independence.
“I did not go to court only for an interlocutory injunction. I filed a substantive constitutional case invoking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2 and 130 of the 1992 Constitution,” he emphasized. “This is not a matter to be ignored. It borders on the independence of the judiciary and the constitutional framework guiding the removal of a Chief Justice.”
The lawmaker’s legal action follows President John Mahama’s decision on April 22 to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo after determining that a prima facie case had been established based on three undisclosed petitions.
Acting in accordance with Article 146(6) of the Constitution, the President—after consulting the Council of State—set up a five-member committee to investigate the allegations.However, Assafuah contends that the process violated key constitutional provisions.
In his suit against the Attorney-General, he argues that Articles 146(1), (2), (4), (6), and (7), in conjunction with Articles 23, 57(3), and 296 of the Constitution, require the President to first notify the Chief Justice of any petition for her removal and obtain her written comments before proceeding to consult the Council of State.
He insists that failure to follow this sequence renders the entire removal process constitutionally defective. The MP also took a swipe at the composition of the bench handling some politically sensitive matters, alleging bias due to the involvement of judges appointed during the Mahama administration.