Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu is calling for urgent constitutional reforms to strengthen judicial independence in Ghana, following the controversial removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
Kpebu reiterated his long-standing concerns about the powers granted to the President under Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution, which allows the executive to appoint the Chief Justice.
“To truly protect judicial independence, we must remove the President’s power to appoint Chief Justices under Article 144,” he said. “We’ve been advocating for this since last year, especially after the letter she wrote to President Akufo-Addo became public.”
Kpebu argued that executive involvement in appointing the head of the judiciary undermines the principle of separation of powers and exposes the office to political interference.
He also stressed the need for a clearer and more transparent system for assessing judicial misconduct, urging reforms that would define and categorise offences more precisely.
“One of the things we need is proper categorisation—what counts as a serious offence and what qualifies as a minor one,” he explained. “Right now, there’s a risk of minor infractions being treated like major ones, which can lead to disproportionate punishments like removal from office.”
Kpebu’s comments have added fuel to the growing national debate on constitutional reform, especially concerning the balance of power between the executive and the judiciary, and the need to protect key institutions from political influence.
