Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has acknowledged the difficulty of balancing the demands of judicial office with personal relationships and social responsibilities. He admitted that his efforts to remain humane and socially present have sometimes landed him in controversy. “I have in recent times run into some trouble in this office precisely because I allowed my humanity to overtake my official restraint,” he stated.
Responding, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie explained that there have been occasions when he attended public events to honour close friends and relatives and others when, as Chair of Council for Legal Education and Training, he undertook official visits where safer course would have been to remain behind walls of office. He stressed, “We must never abandon our humanity simply because we have assumed judicial office,” but added experiences which drew cacophony of noises bordering on pure mischief have reinforced need for restraint. Judicial Service defended him, saying remarks were made in good faith and not intended to undermine judicial independence.
Legal analysts say Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct recognise judges’ freedom of expression but caution against inappropriate involvement in public controversies. For a Chief Justice, perception is constitutional capital, they argue. The judiciary remains Ghana’s last institutional refuge when politics fails, and must be seen as impartial.
Author: Stella Sunu • Published on Howedey.com
