Following Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s contentious suspension, a coalition of political parties, led by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), will demonstrate today, Monday, May 5, in what the NPP describes as a politically driven assault on judicial independence.
Party members and sympathizers will march through Accra’s main streets as part of the demonstration. Among the other groups involved are the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), People’s National Party (PNP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
The NPP claims that the action is a reaction to political players connected to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) engaging in “calculated and dangerous interference” in the judiciary’s activities.
The suspension’s supporters, according to NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, are trying to undermine public confidence in the legal system.
He maintained that the procedures that resulted in the Chief Justice’s suspension violated the 1992 Constitution and cautioned that for such acts to continue unopposed could create a risky precedent for Ghana’s future judicial independence.
Reactions to the planned demonstration have been conflicting. Critics accuse the NPP of politicizing a constitutional problem and employing public protests to stall legal proceedings, while supporters see it as a valid civic action to protect democratic institutions.
The suspension has already been denounced by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), which calls it unlawful and calls for an immediate overturning of the ruling.
Dr. John Osae-Kwapong of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is one legal expert who contends that the current developments are a reflection of constitutional processes and need to be permitted to continue.
Today’s demonstration is anticipated to turn into a major flashpoint in the larger legal and political impasse as tensions increase, potentially having an impact on Ghana’s governance and democratic course in the run-up to the general elections in[ December.
With plans in place to control traffic and stop any disruptions, security services have reassured the public that they are ready to guarantee a peaceful demonstration.