The Chief Justice is not a Touring Minister: Baffoe-Bonnie’s SOE visits are unconstitutional officiousness
We live in very uncertain and precarious times. If one would heed the advice of the prophet Amos (in Amos 5:13), silence- outright silence will become our lot.
The Chief Justice's recent visits to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to assess their performance have been deemed unconstitutional and beyond his authority, argues Professor Baffoe-Bonnie. The 1992 Constitution clearly outlines that the Chief Justice's responsibilities are limited to two: being the Head of the Judiciary and presiding over the Supreme Court.
The Constitution strictly separates the powers of the Executive and Legislature from the Judiciary, prohibiting any overlap. Consequently, the visits to SOEs, which are administrative entities governed by the President, fall outside the CJ's jurisdiction. The visits could be seen as an unconstitutional exercise of power, potentially undermining the appearance of judicial independence and even appearing to act as a political figure.
While judges are permitted to comment on general matters, these visits to SOEs are not within the bounds of a judge's constitutional role.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 3 other outlets
- The Chief Justice is not a Touring Minister: Baffoe-Bonnie’s SOE visits are unconstitutional officiousness adomonline.com
- Row brews in Punjab as Centre bypasses state response to appoint High Court Chief Justice indianexpress.com
- APTF temporarily suspends protest after Chief Minister’s assurance on TET thehindu.com
