Lawyer Yaw Frimpong Anokye has challenged critics of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to initiate legal action if they genuinely believe he broke the law, rather than mounting public attacks.
Describing the backlash as both baseless and unnecessary, the legal practitioner maintained that the Chief Justice acted entirely within his ethical bounds.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he emphasized that the Chief Justice did not breach any code of conduct, as judges are only prohibited from weighing in on pending litigation or making partisan statements—neither of which occurred when praising the turnaround of Ghanaian public institutions.
Mr Anokye insisted that the Chief Justice did no wrong and breached no ethical boundaries during his visits, noting that as a senior citizen, commending state institutions is entirely appropriate since the law only prohibits judges from commenting on active cases or partisan political matters.
He further pushed back against the Ghana Bar Association’s stance, stating that the Bar President merely expressed her personal opinion rather than the collective view of the membership, failing to cite any specific constitutional provisions because no actual breach occurred.
“Additionally, the comments made by the Bar President were her personal opinion. Her remarks did not represent the opinions of the membership of the Bar. We did not ask her to go and say the things she said. She expressed her personal views. The attacks on the Chief Justice are unwarranted. If the members had asked her to make the remarks, she would have quoted specific rules, laws, or provisions in the Constitution to support any statement. But she did not make reference to any law that supports breaches.
Ultimately, he urged those who believe the Chief Justice erred to take him to court instead of engaging in needless political commentary, adding that there is nothing wrong with acknowledging progress in public entities owned by the people of Ghana.
“For those who think the Chief Justice erred, they should go to court and sue him; if not, let’s stop the needless political commentary and attacks. State bodies are entities owned by Ghanaians, and if they were not performing and someone has turned them around and someone is commending them, there is nothing wrong with that.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana