The Judiciary has responded to the public backlash that has followed recent comments by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie during visits to some State-owned institutions.
In a statement signed by the Judicial Secretary, Mr. Musah Ahmed on Friday September 4, the Judiciary said the Chief Justice has taken note of the mixed public reaction to observations he made on the performance of State-owned entities during an outreach engagement.
The statement stressed that the observations were made in good faith.
“The observations were made in good faith, and were not intended to serve a purpose inimical to judicial independence,” the statement said.
It added that the Chief Justice remains committed to upholding the integrity and independence of the Judiciary, and the promotion of justice and equality before the law.
The clarification comes after the Chief Justice came under heavy criticism for remarks made during a working visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
During the visit, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie had commended MIIF for what he described as an impressive turnaround and contrasted it with the performance of state institutions over the previous eight years.
“I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years,” he said.
At SSNIT, he also referenced past attempts to sell prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, saying “you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low.”
The comments, which have been interpreted by critics including the NPP, CDD-Ghana, and several legal commentators as carrying political undertones, triggered calls for restraint, with some describing them as inconsistent with the non-partisan mandate of the head of the Judiciary.
Below is the Statement for the Judiciary
CHIEF JUSTICE’S VISIT TO SOME STATE INSTITUTIONS AND MATTERS ARISING
The Chief Justice has taken note of the mixed public reaction to some observations he made recently on the performance of State-owned entities during an outreach engagement.
The observations were made in good faith, and were not intended to serve a purpose inimical to judicial independence.
The Chief Justice remains committed to upholding the integrity and independence of the Judiciary, and the promotion of justice and equality before the law.
(SGD)
MR. MUSAH AHMED
JUDICIAL SECRETARY
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
