The Chief Justice (CJ), Georgina Wood, could not attend President Nana Akufo-Addo's maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA) because she was on assignment out of the country, the Judicial Service of Ghana has explained.
The Chief Justice absence from Tuesday's SONA led to questions about her whereabouts with rumours going round that she was absent because she was preparing for her retirement.
But according to the Judicial Service, the Chief Justice is in Cairo, Egypt for a three-day Regional Conference of Chief Justices, Presidents of Supreme Courts, Constitutional Courts and Heads of Judiciaries in Africa which opened on Monday, February 20, 2017.
In a statement signed by its Communications Director, Grace Tagoe, Â the Service explained that Chief Justice left Ghana on Saturday, February 18, 2017, and per the constitution, Justice William Atuguba, the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court Bench, performs the functions of the Chief Justice.
"The Service is therefore disappointed that media houses which published the misleading story could not cross-check their facts with the Service before publication,", the statement said, adding that “the Service wishes to assure the general public that any news about that retirement of the Chief Justice when it is due, will be communicated as such".
The Chief Justice is expected to return to Accra today [Thursday], February 23, 2017.Â