Catholic Bishops urge Chief Justice to avoid political comments
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has cautioned Chief Justice Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over recent public comments it says could create an impression of political bias.
However, the Conference has rejected calls for the Chief Justice to resign, describing such demands as disproportionate to the issue.
The controversy stems from remarks made by Justice Baffoe-Bonnie on September 2, 2026, during working visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).
During the engagements, the Chief Justice referred to the “past eight years”, a comment that critics interpreted as a political comparison between the performance of previous and current administrations.
In a statement, the GCBC said the remarks should serve as a reminder to the head of the Judiciary to exercise caution when making public comments, particularly on issues that could be interpreted politically.
The Bishops, however, stressed that the incident does not establish that the Chief Justice is partisan or that the Judiciary has been politically compromised.
According to the Conference, calls for Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s resignation based solely on the remarks go beyond the available evidence.
The GCBC said the Chief Justice, like any other citizen, is entitled to his personal convictions, but his public conduct must be carefully managed to preserve confidence in the neutrality of the Judiciary.
It noted that although official visits to state institutions such as SSNIT and MIIF were appropriate, drawing comparisons between political administrations during such engagements could undermine public confidence in the courts.
The Conference stressed that judicial independence depends not only on actual impartiality but also on the public perception that judges and the Judiciary remain neutral.
It therefore suggested that Justice Baffoe-Bonnie could have highlighted the achievements of SSNIT and MIIF without making comparisons involving different political administrations.
The Bishops urged the Chief Justice and other judicial officers to remain mindful of the need to protect both the reality and appearance of judicial impartiality, particularly given that the courts may be required to determine disputes involving the government, political parties and public institutions.
Source: 3news.com
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