If CJ needs ethics law to know SOE comments were wrong, he may not be worthy of office – Arthur Kennedy

Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, a political activist and social commentator, has raised concerns about the suitability of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for his role, suggesting that if he requires formal ethical guidelines to recognize the inappropriateness of his recent statements about state-owned institutions, he may not be fit for the office. Dr Kennedy argued that the Chief Justice should inherently understand the boundaries of his position and refrain from actions that could suggest political bias.

His comments followed a visit by Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on September 2. During the visit, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie praised the performance of these state organizations and questioned what Ghana had been doing in the previous eight years.

Dr Kennedy contended that the Chief Justice's comments were politically motivated and could undermine public confidence in the Judiciary's impartiality. He urged the Chief Justice to apologize and commit to avoiding similar conduct in the future.

Dr Kennedy also criticized the partisan responses to the controversy, pointing out the hypocrisy of supporters of both the NPP and NDC regarding previous controversies involving Chief Justices. Despite his criticism, he emphasized that his stance should be evaluated without partisan considerations. The Judicial Service, in response, acknowledged the mixed public reaction to Justice Baffoe-Bonnie's remarks, stating they were made in good faith and were not intended to undermine judicial independence.

However, the Service did not indicate whether the Chief Justice would apologize or retract his statements. Dr Kennedy urged the Chief Justice not to disappoint the public with such conduct.