Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo (born 11 September 1962) is a Ghanaian judge. She was nominated to the Supreme Court in November 2019 and received parliamentary approval in December 2019. She was sworn in on 17 December 2019. She has been on the bench in Ghana since 2004 and was appointed a Supreme Court judge in 2019. She was one of the first Justices of the Commercial Division of the High Court and has been active in the core reform agenda and activities of the Judiciary and Judicial Service of Ghana since 2005.
In 1982, she enrolled at the University of Ghana, Legon, where she studied microbiology. She graduated with first-class honors in 1986 and was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for the best female student in science.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Gertrude Torkornoo joined the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) as a research scientist. She worked at the Radiation Technology Centre of the GAEC, where she conducted research on the use of radiation in food preservation and sterilization.
In 1994, she was awarded a scholarship by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to pursue a Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. She completed her Master’s degree with distinction in 1995 and returned to Ghana to continue her research at the GAEC.
Gertrude Torkornoo’s research focused on developing innovative solutions to address food insecurity and malnutrition in Africa. She was particularly interested in the potential of indigenous African foods to provide essential nutrients to people in low-income communities. Her research showed that traditional African foods such as fonio, amaranth, and millet are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals and can be used to prevent and treat malnutrition.
In recognition of her groundbreaking research, Gertrude Torkornoo was awarded the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award in 2012. She was the first Ghanaian scientist to receive this award, which recognizes outstanding women scientists from around the world.
Gertrude Torkornoo’s research has had a significant impact on food security and nutrition in Africa. Her work has highlighted the importance of indigenous African foods in addressing malnutrition and has inspired a new generation of African scientists to pursue research in this field.
In addition to her research, Gertrude Torkornoo has been a mentor and role model to many young scientists in Ghana and across Africa. She has advocated for greater investment in science education and research in Africa and has worked to promote the inclusion of women in science.
Gertrude Torkornoo’s legacy continues to inspire and motivate scientists and researchers in Africa and around the world. Her pioneering work in the field of food science and technology has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of people in low-income communities and has helped to advance scientific knowledge and understanding.
Leadership
Justice Torkornoo has held several leadership roles in the judicial service. In her work as chair of E-Justice Committee, she has led the planning of automation of all levels of courts, procurement and incorporation of the use of electronic resources and software in the work of the Judicial Service.
She has also served as the Supervising Judge of commercial courts since 2013 where she has set the agenda for and chaired the meetings and programs of the Users Committee of the Commercial Courts. She has quietly ensured the sustenance of a keen culture of efficiency in the commercial division of the High Court nationwide through leadership initiatives such as ‘brown bag learning sessions’ for Judges of the court, consistent meetings with staff and leadership of the court, engagements with external service operators such as process servers, valuers, auctioneers and the Users Committee of the court and presentation of policy briefs to Chief Justices on needed reforms in commercial justice delivery as well as the administrative needs of the court.
Justice Torkornoo presided over the implementation of the Business Environment Engineering Project (BEEP) funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom. Her leadership directions in that project ignited and provided the Ministry of Trade and Industry with guidance on the introduction of Users Committees into other institutions that participated in the BEEP project. The BEEP project further influenced the active development of the Business Environment Reforms being streamlined into national institutions by the MOTI. She serves as chair of the Technical Working Group on ‘Enforcing Contracts’ set up to steer change in the business law environment. Outcomes of the work of the BEEP project within the Judiciary included the design of necessary reforms in the monitoring and evaluation of data collection currently being implemented by the Judiciary, the design of necessary reforms in the post-judgment and execution part of justice delivery, and reforms in stream lining of ADR in commercial justice delivery in Circuit and High Courts that led to the passage of High Court (Civil Procedure) Amendment Rules 2020, CI 133.
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