Be Judges without forgetting your humanity – Chief Justice tells Judges at 45TH AMJG Conference

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has emphasized that the balance between judicial independence and accountability should not be mistaken for freedom from responsibility. During his address at the 45th Annual Conference of magistrates and judges in Accra, he highlighted that judicial officers must be held to high standards of performance and discipline, while being supported and treated with dignity.

The conference's theme, "Balance Beyond the Bench – Harmonising Duty, Justice and Life," underscored the importance of maintaining this equilibrium.

The Chief Justice stressed that the welfare of judges and magistrates extends beyond employment conditions, impacting the administration of justice. He argued that a well-supported, properly trained, and dignified judicial officer is more capable of fulfilling their duties. However, he also stressed that institutional support must be coupled with responsibility, demanding good performance alongside good conditions.

Baffoe-Bonnie made it clear that judicial officers must defend judicial independence while remaining accountable to the public. He explained that these obligations are not contradictory but part of the balance needed for a credible Judiciary. He reminded judicial officers that their responsibilities extend to the people who rely on the courts for justice, cautioning against allowing personal balance to undermine their duties to litigants.

He urged the Judiciary to strive for efficiency without becoming mechanical, demanding without being inhumane, modern without losing its soul, and rigorous without compromising compassion.