Catholic Bishops wade into calls for Chief Justice’s resignation over SOEs remark

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has rejected calls for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s resignation following his remarks during visits to public institutions. Acknowledging concerns over perceived bias, the Bishops stated that demands for his dismissal were disproportionate. While the Chief Justice may have intended to assess performance, comments could be seen as political and undermine public confidence in judicial impartiality.

The Conference emphasized that judicial independence depends on the visible appearance of impartiality. Despite clarification from the Judicial Service that the Chief Justice's remarks were made in good faith, the Bishops urged caution on judicial ethics to maintain public trust. They rejected claims of political bias, noting that the Chief Justice is entitled to personal views but must exercise caution in public engagements to avoid doubts about neutrality.

The Bishops suggested the Chief Justice could have praised institutions based on achievements without drawing political comparisons. They called for both political parties to avoid politicizing the controversy. The Conference urged all public office holders to protect public confidence in Ghana's democratic institutions.