The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has urged Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to exercise restraint and discretion in his public engagements to protect the perceived impartiality and credibility of Ghana’s Judiciary.
The call follows remarks made by 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.
The Chief Justice visited the two institutions alongside members of the Council for Legal Education and Training.
At MIIF, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie praised the institution’s current management but questioned its performance over the “past eight years”.
He made similar comparisons at SSNIT, referring to previous attempts to sell some of the institution’s assets and questioning how the management of the country’s affairs could previously have “sunk so low”.
CDD-Ghana said the remarks could be interpreted as an explicit comparison between the current and previous administrations and create a perception that the Judiciary was endorsing a particular political administration.
“Such commentary creates a perception of political bias, compromises the Judiciary’s non-partisan mandate, and risks breaching the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates,” the Centre said.
The governance organisation said the comments were particularly concerning given declining public confidence in the Judiciary.
It cited the 2024 Afrobarometer Round 10 survey, which found that only 35% of Ghanaians trust the courts, representing a 21-percentage-point decline from 2012.
The survey also found that 62% of citizens believed judicial decisions were routinely influenced by powerful interests, while about half questioned whether an ordinary person could obtain a fair trial.
CDD-Ghana stressed that judges were not expected to withdraw completely from public life but must exercise the necessary self-restraint to preserve confidence in the Judiciary.
“Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done,” the Centre said, arguing that the principle requires an unequivocal appearance of neutrality.
The organisation therefore called on the Chief Justice to strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates and limit public engagements, including visits to other state institutions, to matters directly connected to court administration or legal development.
It also urged 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 call comes amid wider criticism of the Chief Justice’s recent engagements. Governance expert Prof Baffour Agyemang-Duah has also questioned the appropriateness of the Chief Justice visiting institutions under the Executive and making political-sounding comments, arguing that his position demands a higher degree of restraint.
CDD-Ghana said the Judiciary remained a critical pillar of Ghana’s constitutional democracy and warned that any erosion of its integrity could have implications for democratic stability.
It urged the Chief Justice to reflect on the responsibilities attached to his office and align his public conduct with the ethical demands of the position in order to help restore public confidence in the administration of justice.