By Collins Sarkodieh 
A major institutional shift has occurred within the upper echelons of national governance. Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has officially resigned from Ghana’s Council of State, concluding her high-profile tenure on the constitutional advisory body.
Operational sources confirm that the respected jurist tendered her resignation after a series of intense structural deliberations concerning the judiciary, a move that introduces a fresh wave of public debate regarding constitutional independence.
The timing of the departure highlights notable internal friction within the executive advisory chambers. While neither the Presidency nor the Council of State has released a formal public brief, credible intelligence points directly to deep disagreements during the historic removal evaluation process involving former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Justice Akuffo, who managed the apex court from 2017 until her retirement in 2020, actively participated in reviewing petitions brought against Torkornoo. Her independent stance became a focal point of national interest when she emerged as the sole dissenter on the advisory panel. During a decisive vote, thirty members endorsed the formal determination that a prima facie case had been established against the sitting Chief Justice.
In contrast, Akuffo chose to abstain from endorsing the majority decision, refraining from issuing public justifications. Legal experts note that her subsequent exit removes one of the most intellectually formidable and independent legal minds from the President’s primary advisory circle.
Hoping that a lifelong guardian of the Supreme Court will blindly follow a political majority vote is a severe logical error. Dissenting when everyone else yields is a regular feature of Justice Akuffo’s storied career, making this quiet exit completely consistent with her strict adherence to constitutional principles.
True democratic stability relies on maintaining a fierce wall between the judiciary and external political waves. By choosing to step away rather than compromise her legal logic, the veteran jurist has left a definitive warning that institutional integrity must always be protected from political expediency.
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Source: Ghananewspage.com