ECOWAS court grants AG relief after missing deadline in Torkornoo case
ECOWAS Community Court of Justice granted the Attorney-General's office an extension to submit a defence that was filed after the original deadline in the human rights suit brought by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo. The ruling means the state's response will be admitted despite missing the March 1, 2026, filing deadline, and Justice Torkonoo has been given seven days to reply to the amended defence.
Justice Torkonoo initially filed the case at the Human Rights Court after she was suspended by President John Dramani Mahama under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, claiming that her fundamental rights were violated. After her dismissal, she amended her application before the ECOWAS court to challenge the legality of her removal. The court had earlier directed the state to file its defence within 30 days. The Attorney-General's office, represented by Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, missed the deadline and requested that the court exercise discretion to admit the late submission. Justice Torkonoo's counsel urged the court to strike it out because the defence was filed out of time without a formal application for an extension. Dr Srem Sai explained that the state had not been served with the court's directive and only became aware of the deadline after receiving a hearing notice. He told the court that the defence was filed promptly upon becoming aware of the order, despite the intervening public holiday, and appealed for the court to exercise its discretion in the interest of justice.
Despite the debate, the court allowed the state's late filing and granted Justice Torkonoo seven days to respond to the amended defence.
Quick Summary
The ECOWAS court is hearing a human rights suit brought by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo against the Attorney-General's office. The A-G's office needed more time to submit a defence - but questions about the request are now being raised.
Summary - read the full story for complete context.
Image: GhanaWeb
GhanaFront aggregates news from trusted sources. Click to read the original article.
Keywords
Explore related tagsMore from GhanaWeb
Related Stories
More from Politics
Assemblies of God reacts to Lincoln University's U-turn on Mahama honorary doctorate degree
Amidst controversy, a religious organization is praising President Mahama - but why now?
6h ago•2 min read
How Pwalugu Dam contractor 'run away' with $12 million payment - Jinapor details
Dr. Jinapor sheds light on the Pwalugu Dam contractor's payment - but where did the money end up?
7h ago•2 min read
Inside Ghana's UN Slavery Motion: What it takes to pass or fail
Ghana's UN slavery motion needs a simple majority to pass - but what happens if it does?
9h ago•4 min read
Tension in UK Parliament over Ghana's slavery as crime against humanity UN motion
A UK vote on Ghana's slavery resolution has sparked debate! What could a 'no' vote mean for international relations?
13h ago•3 min read
