The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has cautioned Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over his recent public comments, stressing that the head of the Judiciary must maintain the visible appearance of political neutrality.
However, the religious body rejected demands for the head of the bench to step down, describing such calls as disproportionate.
The intervention follows remarks made by the Chief Justice on September 2, 2026, during working visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF). His reference to institutional progress over the “past eight years” drew criticism from civic groups, including the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), which warned that the statements risked appearing as a political endorsement.
In a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, 2026, signed by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani, the Bishops’ Conference acknowledged that visiting state institutions is entirely proper, but noted that political interpretations quickly attach to such phrasing.
“What may have begun as a straightforward assessment of institutional performance thus took on, at least in appearance, the character of a partisan judgment,” the statement said.
The clergy highlighted that judicial independence relies as much on perceived neutrality as actual fairness, noting that citizens must approach the courts without fearing political bias.
“The office of Chief Justice is not that of an ordinary public commentator,” the bishops stated. “Judicial independence is not only a matter of actual impartiality; it also depends on the visible, unmistakable appearance of impartiality. A judge, and especially the head of the Judiciary, must be, and must be seen to be, above the partisan contest.”
Despite the concern, the Bishops’ Conference accepted the Judicial Service’s clarification that the remarks were made in good faith without intent to compromise judicial integrity. They dismissed assertions that the Chief Justice had been partisan or that court independence was compromised.
“None of this amounts to a suggestion that the Chief Justice is partisan, or that the Judiciary has been compromised,” the bishops wrote, adding that “calls for his resignation on this basis alone strike us as disproportionate to the offence.”
The bishops urged public officials to exercise restraint and advised against using the controversy for political leverage.
“The governing party ought not to treat criticism of the Chief Justice as an attack on its own record, nor should the opposition treat his remarks as proof that the courts have been captured,” the statement concluded, calling on all stakeholders to treat the incident as a moment for reflection.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana