The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to exercise restraint in his public engagements to protect the perceived neutrality and credibility of the Judiciary.

The call follows comments attributed to the Chief Justice during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Netizens blast Chief Justice over comments on previous government

According to CDD-Ghana, the Chief Justice, while at MIIF, praised the current management of the institution but questioned its performance over what he described as the “past eight years.”

The organisation said similar comments were made at SSNIT, where the Chief Justice contrasted the institution’s current operations with previous attempts to sell some properties in its asset portfolio.

CDD-Ghana said he also lamented that the management of the country’s affairs had previously “sunk so low.”

The civil society organisation believes the comments could create the impression that the Judiciary is taking sides in Ghana’s political discourse.

“By explicitly contrasting performance under the current administration with its predecessor’s, the Chief Justice crossed a vital constitutional line into partisan validation,” CDD-Ghana stated.

It added that such comments “create a perception of political bias, compromise the Judiciary’s non-partisan mandate, and risk breaching the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates.”

CDD-Ghana said the comments were particularly concerning at a time when public confidence in Ghana’s Judiciary is already under pressure.

Citing the 2024 Round 10 Afrobarometer survey, the organisation said only 35% of citizens trust the courts, representing a 21-percentage-point decline since 2012.

It further noted that 62% of citizens believe judicial decisions are routinely influenced by powerful interests, while about half of the population doubts whether an ordinary person can obtain a fair trial.

The organisation stressed that judges are not expected to completely withdraw from public life but must exercise the restraint required by their office.

“Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done,” CDD-Ghana said, stressing that this principle requires “the unequivocal appearance of neutrality, not merely its substance.”

The Centre has therefore urged the Chief Justice to strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct and ensure that his public engagements, including visits to state institutions, focus on issues directly related to court administration and legal development.

CDD-Ghana also called on the Judicial Council and the Association of Judges and Magistrates to strengthen internal oversight and ensure that judicial officers are held accountable regardless of their rank.

“The Judiciary is the bedrock of Ghana’s constitutional order; when its integrity is compromised, democratic stability is put at risk,” the organisation stated.

It warned that judicial authority depends heavily on public confidence, which it said was “already running dangerously low. Credibility is preserved by conduct that leaves no room for doubt,” CDD-Ghana added.

The organisation has consequently called on the Chief Justice to reflect on the responsibilities of his office, align his conduct with the ethical requirements of the Judiciary and uphold the Code of Conduct in order to help restore public trust in the administration of justice.

Read the full statement below





NA/BAI