It has been clarified that in September 2025, former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo sent in her letter of resignation from the Council of State.
She hasn’t gone to any Council of State sessions since.
In addition to being one of the 31 members of the current Council of State advisory council, which is presided over by former Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho, Justice Sophia Akuffo was Chief Justice from 2017 to 2020.
In accordance with the 1992 Constitution, which stipulates that a former Chief Justice should be a member of the Council, she had earlier this year made it clear that she was sitting on the Council of State in her personal capacity as a former Chief Justice rather than on behalf of the Judiciary.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo submitted her resignation from the Council of State in September 2025.Since that time, she has not participated in any meetings of the Council.
Justice Akuffo served as Chief Justice from 2017 to 2020 and was one of the 31 members of the current Council of State, which is chaired by former Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho.
She had previously clarified that she was not representing the Judiciary on the Council, but was serving in her own capacity as a former Chief Justice, as stipulated by the 1992 Constitution, which outlines that a former Chief Justice should be a member of the Council of State.
Her decision to resign came after she expressed a differing opinion during a vote in April 2025 regarding whether a prima facie case had been established against a petition seeking to remove then-Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from office.
Following this, she appeared before the Article 146 committee at the request of the then–suspended Chief Justice Torkornoo to provide testimony in her defense.
In an interview in September 2025, Justice Akuffo criticized the proceedings, stating that Chief Justice Torkornoo had not received a fair hearing.She described the process as a “treason trial,” warned that it had weakened the judiciary, and argued that the allegations against Torkornoo were not serious enough to justify removing the head of a judicial institution.
The Council of State is a constitutional body tasked with advising the President on matters of national significance.
President Mahama accepted Justice Akuffo’s resignation as a member of the Council of State, and the process to replace her is currently underway.
In a press briefing at the presidency on June 15, 2026, the Government Communications Minister and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, confirmed that Justice Akuffo had submitted her resignation letter in September 2025 to the President.
He stated that she did not provide a specific reason for resigning.When the President received the letter, he was expected to accept it, but the Council of State requested that he delay the acceptance to engage with Justice Akuffo to understand any grievances she may have had and whether they could be resolved.After discussions, the Council concluded that the resignation could be accepted, and the President formally accepted it, resulting in Justice Akuffo no longer being a member of the Council of State.
The law clearly outlines the procedures for replacing her, and a replacement for Justice Akuffo will be announced in due course.
