Catholic Bishops reject calls for Chief Justice’s resignation over political remarks

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has rejected calls for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to resign in response to his political remarks during visits to government agencies. The Conference deemed the demands disproportionate, although it recognized that his comments might raise doubts about the appearance of judicial impartiality.

In a statement on September 6, the Bishops clarified that there was nothing improper about the Chief Justice's visits to public institutions, reviewing their operations, or praising improvements. However, they expressed concern with the political nature of some of his remarks, particularly his reference to the "past eight years," which could be perceived as a partisan judgment.

The Conference noted that the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development had also raised concerns about the potential for the remarks to create an impression of political endorsement and undermine confidence in judicial impartiality. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that the Chief Justice's observations were made in good faith and reaffirmed his commitment to judicial independence and equality before the law.

The Bishops stressed that his position as a judge distinguished him from ordinary public commentators, given that courts might be called upon to adjudicate disputes involving the government, political parties, and public institutions. They emphasized that judicial independence depends on the visible appearance of impartiality. The Conference affirmed that the controversy does not demonstrate the Chief Justice's partisanship or the Judiciary's compromise, stating that such conclusions would be beyond the evidence available.

They urged both the governing party and opposition to exercise restraint, urging all public office holders to uphold the same standard of restraint, regardless of who is in government.