The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has rejected the New Patriotic Party’s demand for the resignation of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, describing the call as disproportionate to the evidence available.
The NPP, in a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, questioned the Chief Justice’s neutrality following comments he made during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the Minerals Income Investment Fund.
The party argued that the remarks raised concerns about the political independence of the Judiciary.
But in a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, the Bishops said the comments did not establish that the Chief Justice was partisan or that the Judiciary had been compromised.
The Conference said the Chief Justice was entitled to visit public institutions, assess their performance and acknowledge improvements without automatically being accused of misconduct.
Remarks raise concerns about impartiality
The Bishops nevertheless acknowledged that some of the comments could create concerns about the appearance of judicial impartiality.
They pointed particularly to the Chief Justice’s reference to the “past eight years,” saying the expression could be understood within Ghana’s political context as a comparison between the current administration and its predecessor.
That, the Conference said, made what could have been a straightforward assessment of SSNIT and MIIF appear to carry a partisan political judgment.
The Bishops also acknowledged concerns raised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development that the remarks could create an impression of political endorsement and weaken public confidence in the Judiciary.
However, they said they had taken note of the Judicial Service’s explanation that the comments were made in good faith and were not intended to compromise judicial independence.
“We receive that clarification in good faith,” the Conference said.
Resignation call goes beyond evidence
The Bishops said the controversy should remind judicial officers of the importance of ethics and public perception, especially because the courts may determine disputes involving the government, political parties and public institutions.
“Judicial independence is not only a matter of actual impartiality; it also depends on the visible, unmistakable appearance of impartiality,” they said.
Despite that warning, the Conference maintained that the Chief Justice’s comments alone were insufficient to prove political partisanship or judicial capture.
“Such conclusions would go well beyond the evidence available to us, and calls for his resignation on this basis alone strike us as disproportionate to the offence,” it said.
The Bishops added that although the Chief Justice was entitled to personal convictions, his office required greater caution in public conduct. They suggested that he could have commended SSNIT and MIIF without comparing the performance of successive governments.
Political actors urged to show restraint
The Conference called on both the governing party and the opposition to moderate their responses.
It cautioned the governing party against treating criticism of the Chief Justice as an attack on its record, while urging the opposition not to interpret the remarks as proof that the courts had been captured.
“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 Bishops said.
They urged political actors and public officials to protect confidence in Ghana’s democratic and judicial institutions, regardless of which party holds power.
READ ALSO: "Back Up Your Online Noise With Proof of Work," Tobi Jane Tells Generation Ghana Cohort 17
