Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo Reportedly Resigns from Council of State

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has reportedly resigned from Ghana’s Council of State, bringing her time on the country’s top presidential advisory body to an end.

According to a report by myjoyonline.com, Akuffo submitted her resignation in 2025 and has not attended any Council of State meetings since then.

Neither Sophia Akuffo nor the Presidency has officially confirmed or commented on the reported resignation. The reason for her departure also remains unclear.

Her reported exit comes after months of public attention surrounding the removal proceedings involving former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

In April 2025, when the Council of State considered whether a prima facie case existed against Torkornoo, 30 of the 31 members voted in favour. Akuffo was reportedly the only member who abstained from the vote, although she did not publicly explain her decision.

She later appeared before the Article 146 committee investigating Torkornoo after being called as a witness by the suspended Chief Justice. During the proceedings, she testified in Torkornoo’s defence.

Akuffo subsequently criticized the process, arguing that the former Chief Justice had not been given a fair hearing.

Sophia Akuffo served on Ghana’s Supreme Court for more than 20 years before becoming the country’s 13th Chief Justice in 2017. She was the second woman to hold the position after Georgina Theodora Wood.

Before leading the judiciary, she also served as a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Her time on the Council of State also drew public attention in 2023 when she joined pensioners protesting aspects of the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, arguing that retirees should not bear an unfair share of the country’s economic recovery burden.

Until an official statement is issued, the reported resignation and the reasons behind it remain unconfirmed.