The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has taken issue with the decision by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to hold a press conference amid the ongoing proceedings concerning her possible removal from office.

He described the move as unnecessary and potentially unhelpful to the legal process.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, 28 June, Mr Cudjoe acknowledged that while the Chief Justice had every right to defend herself, the method of doing so should demonstrate a sense of fairness and restraint.

He questioned the wisdom of engaging the public in what he characterised as an emotive manner, given the gravity of the issues at hand.

“I think she is well within her rights to fight, but she must also be seen to be fighting fair,” he remarked. “For me, seriously speaking, the press conference was very, very unnecessary.”

Mr Cudjoe was particularly critical of some of the personal and emotional themes raised during the press briefing, arguing that they detract from the constitutional and legal framework within which the matter should be addressed.

“If I could just speak to one issue, all the other tangential issues about being searched, and all, this is not a place where you should be going to be cuddled,” he stated.

He stressed the importance of allowing the appropriate institutions and processes to function without external interference or distraction.

“These are serious matters that we are discussing here, and I can understand that you need your family around, but those issues are tangential,” he added.