Judicial officers across Ghana have been counselled against allowing the demands of their office to strip away their humanity.
Delivering the keynote address at the 45th Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), Chief Justice His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stressed the necessity of blending judicial obligations with a healthy private life.
Addressing the gathering under the theme “Balance Beyond the Bench – Harmonising Duty, Justice and Life,” the head of the judiciary acknowledged that although the bench requires strict self-control and detachment, it should not turn officers into unfeeling automatons.
Sharing a personal perspective, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie revealed that his own human side had occasionally landed him in delicate situations.
“There have been occasions when I have attended public events to honour close friends and relatives and others when in my capacity as chair of the council for legal education and training I have undertaken basis and engagements where perhaps the safer cause would have been to remain behind the walls of the office,” Justice Baffoe-Bonnie recounted.
He explained that the ensuing public commentary from those instances only strengthened his conviction that high office should not compel a judge to renounce their human nature.
“The road may require restraints, discipline and distance, but it must never require us to cease to be human. The challenge is not to choose between being a judge and being a person. It is to learn how to be both without allowing one to compromise the other,” he stressed.
The Chief Justice observed that maintaining equilibrium does not imply slacking on official tasks; rather, it ensures that justice is dispensed by individuals who are mentally intact and well-rested.
“There is an old wisdom in the idea that one cannot pour from an empty vessel,” he added.
Moving to institutional matters, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie linked magistrate and judicial welfare directly to effective justice administration, noting that high-ranking privileges must go hand-in-hand with unwavering professionalism, accountability, and hard work.
Concluding his address, he charged the leadership of the AMJG to champion a workplace culture that pairs professional excellence with personal wellness, domestic life, and strong social ties.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
