Editor of The NewsCenta Newspaper, Elvis Darko, has raised alarm over the growing vulnerability of Ghana’s Judiciary, describing it as the weakest arm of government and calling for urgent institutional reforms to insulate it from executive influence.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, June 30, he said the ongoing impeachment proceedings against suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo have laid bare the structural weaknesses within the judicial arm of government, especially its susceptibility to control by the Executive.

“For now, the Judiciary is the weakest arm of government. And it needs to be protected and isolated from executive control.”

Mr. Darko stressed that the case involving the Chief Justice has gone beyond a personal legal battle and now represents a broader institutional crisis. He argued that even though the Chief Justice holds the highest judicial position in the country, her vulnerability in the face of political pressure shows how exposed the entire system is.

“This process has revealed something important: if the judges don’t take a stand to protect themselves, they can be removed by any government at any time,” he said.

Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has been on suspension since April 22, 2025, after President John Dramani Mahama, in consultation with the Council of State, determined that a prima facie case had been established under Article 146 of the Constitution. This followed multiple petitions accusing her of misconduct. A five-member committee was then constituted to investigate the claims in camera.

Despite her suspension, Justice Torkornoo has remained defiant, insisting she will not resign. On June 25, she disclosed to the media that she had received threats aimed at coercing her into stepping down, but declared that she would not be intimidated into abandoning her role.

Elvis Darko believes her decision to fight the process is a critical move that could inspire judicial reform. “What she’s done, whether she wins or loses, has brought national attention to how executive power can overreach into the Judiciary. That alone is significant.”

He urged stakeholders, including lawmakers and civil society groups, to use the moment to push for legal reforms that would strengthen judicial independence and ensure that the country’s courts cannot be swayed or controlled by political interests.