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It has emerged that former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo resigned from the Council of State in September 2025 and has not participated in any meetings of the advisory body since submitting her resignation.
Justice Akuffo, who served as Chief Justice from 2017 to 2020, was one of the 31 members of the Council of State, the constitutional body tasked with advising the President on matters of national importance. The Council is chaired by former Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho.
Earlier in 2025, Justice Akuffo clarified that her membership of the Council was not as a representative of the Judiciary but in her capacity as a former Chief Justice, in accordance with provisions of the 1992 Constitution which require a former Chief Justice to be a member of the Council.
Her resignation followed developments surrounding the petition seeking the removal of then Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from office. In April 2025, Justice Akuffo reportedly dissented when the Council of State considered and voted on whether a prima facie case had been established against Justice Torkornoo.
Subsequently, she appeared before the Article 146 committee investigating the matter after being invited by the suspended Chief Justice to testify in her defence.
In an interview granted in September 2025, Justice Akuffo openly criticised the proceedings, maintaining that Justice Torkornoo had not been afforded a fair hearing.
She described the process as akin to a “treason trial” and warned that the handling of the case risked undermining public confidence in the Judiciary. Justice Akuffo further argued that the allegations against Justice Torkornoo did not warrant the removal of the head of the Judicial Service.
Since tendering her resignation, Justice Akuffo has reportedly not attended any meetings of the Council of State.