The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over a series of engagements undertaken by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, questioning whether his visits to key state institutions amount to a “thank-you tour” following his appointment.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing on Monday, January 26, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the Chief Justice’s movements, including visits to the Ghana Police Service, Parliament and other state institutions, create troubling political optics.
“And by the way, we have seen that My Lord Baffoe-Bonnie and his management are all over the various ministries, including Jubilee House,” he said.
“Is he on a thank-you tour? Is My Lord Baffoe-Bonnie on a thank-you tour, thanking the government for appointing him as Chief Justice?” Mr Afenyo-Markin asked.
The Minority Leader disclosed that the caucus had been informed of a planned visit by the Chief Justice to Parliament but stated that Minority MPs would not participate in the engagement.
According to him, the Minority does not consider Justice Baffoe-Bonnie a tolerant head of the judiciary, citing attacks on Minority members who criticised the processes leading to his nomination.
“We, the Minority, don’t see him as a tolerant
head of the judiciary. Members of the Minority were attacked when we criticised the processes leading to his nomination,” he said.
For that reason, Mr Afenyo-Markin announced that the Minority would boycott what he described as a “thank-you talk.”
“We will therefore not be part of his thank-you talk. If he wants to engage us, our offices are open. He should come and engage us and we will let him know the things that we find wrong,” he added.
The Minority Leader further accused the government of undermining Ghana’s credibility through its domestic actions.
“A government that tolerates opaque law-making schemes orchestrated by the Central Bank, turns prosecution into a political weapon, attacks judicial independence by unconstitutionally removing a Chief Justice, and allows the ongoing destruction of our rivers is steadily destroying the credibility it seeks to project abroad,” he stated.
In recent weeks, Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie has embarked on a number of courtesy and institutional visits across government. He paid a courtesy call on Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, where he briefed her on the judiciary’s achievements and priority initiatives, including court decongestion and the expansion of Alternative Dispute Resolution services.
He also met the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, in what was described as a courtesy call aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Judiciary and the Finance Ministry, raising concerns about court congestion and poor working conditions.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie further visited the Ministry of Education to discuss areas of cooperation, particularly in legal education and civic responsibility.
On Monday, the Chief Justice began another round of engagements with key state bodies, including the Ghana Police Service and Parliament, as part of efforts to enhance coordination within Ghana’s justice and governance framework.
However, the Minority has insisted that the pattern and timing of the visits suggest political motivations, maintaining that the engagements resemble a “thank-you tour” rather than routine judicial outreach.
