Lawyer and policy consultant Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor has delivered a blistering critique of suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo’s recent press conference, characterising her televised address as a theatrical lament rather than a reasoned constitutional response.
His statement, titled “Chief Justice, Interrupted: A tongue in cheek Response to melodrama at Adu Lodge,” likened Torkornoo’s remarks to performance art more suited to the National Theatre than the judiciary.
“In a performance worthy of the National Theatre, Araba has emerged – not as the nation’s top judicial officer – but as a tragic heroine, wrongly accused, spiritually tormented, and (of course) historically persecuted”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Lawyer and Policy Consultant
He dismissed the Chief Justice’s press address as a spectacle laced with paranoia and mysticism, mocking the transformation of what he described as a standard disciplinary inquiry into a symbolic battle for democracy.
The critique took aim at suspended Chief Justice Torkornoo’s emotional portrayal of the disciplinary venue, Adu Lodge. According to Barker-Vormawor, the venue has been elevated beyond mere geography into what he called “an omen.”
He described the suspended Chief Justice’s narrative as absurdly inflating the stakes of a misconduct hearing, especially her wondering whether the high security Adu Lodge in Osu, the location for her enquiry, was chosen to intimidate her.
“Apparently, a disciplinary hearing to determine routine misconduct has become the trial of the century. Move over Nuremberg – Adu Lodge is now the frontline of Ghana’s democratic survival”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Lawyer and Policy Consultant
In his view, the Chief Justice sought to turn personal scrutiny into a constitutional crisis.
Symbolism, Ghosts, and Holocaust Comparisons
He further ridiculed the metaphysical tones of the Chief Justice’s address. Referencing the 17,000-word length of her speech, Barker-Vormawor described it as “equal parts legal complaint, personal hallucinations, and epic poem.”
He criticised her claims of persecution, including being “tried behind high walls,” searched, and separated from her husband during proceedings.
“The horror! The inhumanity! Why go through metal detectors when it’s not the Airport,” he exclaimed, dripping with sarcasm. He dismissed references to the venue’s history, saying, “Apparently, buildings have feelings. Next up: An injunction against ghosts?”
Barker-Vormawor questioned the suspended Chief Justice’s outrage over the probing of her travel records and financial expenditures, arguing that accountability does not equate to persecution.
“Yes, friends: a committee hearing in Ghana is now being equated to the Holocaust. We’ve entered full-on melodrama,” Barker-Vormawor said, further scathing Torkornoo about the invocation of Holocaust-era poetry to frame her predicament.
Due Process or Public Sympathy?
The lawyer questioned why a suspended Chief Justice would turn to public sentiment instead of legal avenues, urging her to uphold the very system she once led. According to Barker-Vormawor, an emotional plea is no substitute for legal rigour.
“If the process is flawed, challenge it in the appropriate forum. If your rights are violated, assert them through the very system you presided over. But don’t take the Judiciary on a tour of self-pity through the streets of public sympathy.
“You do not defend due process by abandoning it. You do not protect the Judiciary by dragging it into a public fistfight. And you do not preserve institutional dignity by dissolving into emotional blackmail”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Lawyer and Policy Consultant
In a final jab, Barker-Vormawor dismissed the notion that Torkornoo’s case represented a historic trial or moral reckoning. He argued that her case and approach were too weak to become what she hoped it would be.
“This isn’t ‘The Trial of Socrates.’ It’s simply a routine disciplinary hearing, for Pete’s sake. Pipe down! Please put down the violin!”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Lawyer and Policy Consultant
As Ghana grapples with the implications of the Chief Justice’s suspension and her recent press conference, this rebuke from a well-known legal voice signals a deepening polarisation in public discourse.
Being her first press statement since the suspension, more distinguished voices are expected to comment on the ongoing controversy of Ghana’s embattled Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, and her earnest bid to terminate the case against her.
READ MORE: Trump Meets With Zelenskyy On NATO Summit Sidelines
