The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has called for restraint and sober reflection following recent public remarks by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).
In a statement signed by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Bishop of Sunyani, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Conference said its intervention was intended to contribute calmly to the national discussion on judicial ethics and public trust.
The Chief Justice visited SSNIT and MIIF on September 2, 2026, where he reportedly commented on the performance of the institutions, including a reference to the “past eight years.”
According to the Bishops, there was nothing inherently wrong with the Chief Justice visiting public institutions, acquainting himself with their operations or commending improvements.
However, they said the reference to the “past eight years” could, in Ghana’s political context, reasonably be interpreted as a comparison between the current administration and its predecessor.
“What may have begun as a straightforward assessment of institutional performance thus took on, at least in appearance, the character of a partisan judgment,” the Conference said.
The Bishops noted that similar concerns had already been raised publicly, including by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), which cautioned that such remarks could create an impression of political endorsement and weaken public confidence in judicial impartiality.
They also acknowledged a clarification from the Judicial Service that the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith, without any intention of compromising judicial independence.
The Conference said it received that clarification in good faith but stressed that the incident raised a broader issue concerning the perception of judicial neutrality.
“The office of Chief Justice is not that of an ordinary public commentator,” the Bishops stated, explaining that courts could at any time be called upon to adjudicate disputes involving the government, political parties, public institutions and individual citizens.
They argued that judicial independence depends not only on actual impartiality but also on the “visible, unmistakable appearance of impartiality.”
The Bishops consequently urged the Chief Justice and other public officials to exercise caution in their public pronouncements, particularly where comments could create reasonable doubt about political neutrality.
The Conference, however, rejected suggestions that its statement amounted to an accusation that the Chief Justice was partisan or that the Judiciary had been compromised.
It said calls for his resignation on the basis of the remarks alone would be disproportionate, adding that the Chief Justice, like any citizen, was entitled to his personal convictions.
The Bishops suggested that a better approach would have been to commend SSNIT and MIIF for their achievements on their own merits while encouraging continued efficiency, accountability and service to Ghanaians, without comparing the performance of one administration with another.
They also appealed to political actors not to exploit the controversy.
“The governing party ought not to treat criticism of the Chief Justice as an attack on its own record, nor should the opposition treat his remarks as proof that the courts have been captured,” the statement said.
The Conference urged all sides to uphold restraint and apply the same standards to every public office holder, regardless of the political party in government.
The statement was dated Sunday, September 6, 2026.
Story By: Eric Boateng
