Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has resigned from the Council of State, ending her tenure on the country’s highest presidential advisory body after a period marked by controversy over the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Sources familiar with the matter told The Source that Akuffo submitted her resignation last year and has not attended any meetings of the Council of State since then. Neither the former Chief Justice nor the Presidency has publicly commented on her departure, and the reasons behind her decision remain unclear.
Resignation shrouded in silence
The Council of State is a constitutional body mandated to advise the President on matters of governance and national importance. Its membership comprises elected and appointed representatives from across Ghana.
While Akuffo’s resignation has not been officially explained, it comes after months of public debate surrounding her position on the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
No official announcement has been made regarding her replacement.
Lone abstention in Torkornoo proceedings
Akuffo became a key figure during the process that led to the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In April 2025, the Council of State considered whether a prima facie case had been established against Torkornoo. Thirty of the 31 members voted in favour. Akuffo was the only member who abstained.
Although she never publicly disclosed the reasons for her decision, the abstention immediately attracted attention given her status as a former Chief Justice.
Testifying for Torkornoo
The former Chief Justice later took the unusual step of appearing before the Article 146 committee investigating Torkornoo.
At the request of the suspended Chief Justice, Akuffo voluntarily appeared before the committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang to present evidence in Torkornoo’s defence.
Her decision drew widespread attention because she remained a serving member of the Council of State, the body that had participated in the process leading to the establishment of a prima facie case.
A treason trial’
Akuffo subsequently became one of the strongest public critics of the proceedings.
In a September 2025 interview, she argued that Torkornoo had not been granted a fair hearing and described the process as resembling a “treason trial.”
She further contended that the allegations against Torkornoo did not justify the severe outcome of removing the country’s top judicial officer.
“The allegations lack the gravity that will lead to a grave outcome such as the removal of the head of an institution of justice,” she said.
Her remarks sparked significant public and legal debate over judicial independence, due process and the limits of confidentiality for members of the Council of State.
Backlash
The comments drew sharp criticism from some legal practitioners and political actors.
Former Ghana School of Law Director Kwaku Ansa-Asare accused Akuffo of violating her oath of secrecy by making statements that could be interpreted as disclosing matters connected to confidential Council of State deliberations.
United Party member Solomon Owusu also announced plans to petition for her removal from the Council of State, arguing that her participation in Torkornoo’s defence created a conflict with her role as a member of the advisory body.
President John Mahama ultimately signed the warrant removing Torkornoo from office on September 1, 2025.
Profile
Sophia Abena Boafoa Akuffo is one of Ghana’s most accomplished legal minds and among the country’s most influential female jurists.
Born on December 20, 1957, she is a daughter of the late Justice Edward Akufo-Addo, a former Chief Justice and ceremonial President of Ghana during the Second Republic.
She received her legal education at the University of Ghana and was called to the Ghana Bar before embarking on a distinguished judicial career spanning several decades.
Akuffo served on the Supreme Court of Ghana for more than 20 years and was appointed Ghana’s 13th Chief Justice in June 2017. She became only the second woman to occupy the office after former Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood.
Before becoming Chief Justice, she served as a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania, where she earned international recognition for her work in human rights and international law.
Throughout her career, she has been widely respected for her expertise in constitutional law, international law, labour law and judicial administration.
Public life beyond the judiciary
Even after retiring as Chief Justice in 2020, Akuffo remained active in public affairs.
In 2023, she attracted national attention when she joined pensioner groups protesting aspects of the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), arguing that retired workers should not bear an unfair share of the country’s economic recovery burden.
Her participation in the protests won praise from some sections of the public, who viewed it as evidence of her willingness to speak out on matters affecting ordinary Ghanaians.
