An Accra Circuit Court judge, Samuel Bright Acquah, has come under intense criticisms from the general public over his reasoning for denying bail to the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe Abronye.

'Judge who handled Abronye's case not fit to remain on the bench' – Barker-Vormawor

Abronye, who is facing charges of "offensive conduct,” classified as a misdemeanor, was denied bail for the second attempt and has been remanded for a week.

In his ruling, Judge Acquah explained that while the charges were misdemeanours, the remarks attributed to Abronye had implications for national security and public order.

"It is always said that all persons are equal, but in practice, it is not so. Courtesy George Orwell in his book Animal Farm, one of the commandments is that all men are equal, but some are more equal than others. Translated into this case, all men are equal, but some are more equal than others," he noted.

The judge further defended his ruling by pointing to consistency in past cases.

"One of the codes of ethics for judges is that their decisions should be consistent. I have a case before me, The Republic v. Raphael Okai Ankrah, who appeared on May 16, 2023. He was an NDC sympathiser who openly insulted then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and was given a two-week remand.

"Just about two or three weeks ago, another matter came before me, The Republic v Emmanuel Kwakye, a journalist from Wontumi TV, and he was also remanded for two weeks. So, under two different regimes, the court has been consistent, and the court does not see why it should deviate from that consistency," Judge Acquah explained.

But not everybody has agreed with him, and some of they have openly called him out.

Here are some of the people who have criticised him;

Oliver Barker-Vormawor

According to the legal practitioner and social activist, the judge's reasoning in denying bail to Abronye was troubling and undermined democratic principles.

"After reading the reasoning of this circuit court judge, I sincerely and honestly believe that this man is not fit to remain on the bench. I'm not angry. I'm just sad for our democracy," he wrote.

Barker-Vormawor said that the judge attempted to justify the ruling by quoting former Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe, but ended up citing Uganda's former dictator, Idi Amin.

"The funny thing is that this judge said he was quoting Mugabe. But he actually quoted Idi Amin. He cited a dictator to justify denying bail in a democracy. Ewurade," Barker-Vormawor added.

Hamza Suhuyini

The lawyer and National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team member, in his criticism, described the ruling as “embarrassing” and “unjustifiable.”

Speaking at a recent event at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UNIMaC) on September 13, 2025, Suhuyini said, “I was embarrassed by that decision when I read it last night. It didn’t sit well with me. I tried to find justification for it, but I simply could not. This is why I disagree.”

He further alleged that the judge seemed to expect favorable interpretation based on past precedents.

“However, when I read the judgment, it appeared more like a self-serving attempt to impose a consistent narrative to justify actions that are not aligned with why the NDC won power. This is not the approach that should define our leadership. Accountability and reasoned decisions must guide governance, rather than personal or political agendas,” Suhuyini stated.

Kwesi Botchwey

The lawyer faulted the judge for misattributing his quote, while delivering the judgment against Abronye.

In a Facebook post on September 12, 2025, he stated that the judge’s reasoning does not reflect the country’s commitment to the rule of law, describing it as unrepresentative of justice and democracy.

“I am broken and shattered! I feel so sorry for our judiciary and democracy after reading the court’s ruling in Abronye’s matter! This can’t be rule of law! This can’t be justice, and this can’t be democracy! Since when did quotes from Robert Mugabe and Animal Farm become legal authorities? In fact, the quote the judge ascribed to President Mugabe is wrong. That quote was by Iddi Amin. Since when did quotes from Iddi Amin become an authority in Ghanaian courts?

“Whaaaaaaaaatttt! What struck me most is that, with the exception of section 96 of Act 30 which generally provides for the law on bail, the judge could not cite any other relevant constitutional provision, statutory provision or case law from any higher court to substantiate why a fellow citizen should be deprived of his liberties for 7 good days except to quote his own previous ruling… I am totally scandalized by the ruling. For Christ’s sake, the court is a court of law and not a court of morals. What is not in the law cannot be smuggled into the law!” he said.

Senyo Hosi

The Lead Convener of the One Ghana Movement, Senyo Hosi, in reacting to the matter on Accra-based JoyNews’ NewsFile on Saturday, September 13, 2025, said the judge’s reasoning opens the door for political manipulation and elitism abuse in the country’s justice system.

“If courts begin to suggest that we are not all equal before the law, then how do citizens ever get their constitutional rights enforced? Where is the hope? We have opened the door to political and elitism abuse. This is not the country we sought to build.

'Unjustifiable and embarrassing' – NDC's Hamza Suhuyini reacts to Abronye's detention

“To pass such comments is unacceptable. They cannot be the path of our democracy, and they must be condemned by every sound legal and constitutional mind,” he was quoted as saying by modernghana.com.



MAG/AE

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