Inusah Fuseini, the former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, said judges should be allowed to retain their humanity but must exercise restraint and stay within the law to protect public confidence in the judiciary.
Fuseini’s comments came after Chief Justice Paul Baffoe‑Bonnie remarked that judges should not abandon their humanity because of their positions. The Chief Justice noted that his attendance at public events honouring friends and relatives had, at times, attracted criticism from those who believed his role required him to remain within the confines of his office.
“I have in recent times run into some trouble in this office precisely because I allowed my humanity to overtake my official restraint,” Baffoe‑Bonnie said.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Fuseini clarified that the Chief Justice was not suggesting judges should behave like ordinary members of the public simply because they are human. “So the Chief Justice is simply reminding you that you are a human being. You are a human being at your core,” he said.
Fuseini added that judges could maintain personal relationships and participate in social life while still recognising the responsibilities that come with judicial office. “You should not abandon your humanity because you are human. But you must work within the law to ensure that you win the respect, understanding, and confidence of the people of this country in the dispensation of justice,” he said.
The former MP acknowledged that judges have traditionally been expected to keep away from public activities and maintain a degree of distance from the wider public. “It has always been the norm that judges refrain from engaging in public activities,” he said. He concluded that the Chief Justice’s remarks should be understood as a reminder that judicial restraint should not require judges to completely disconnect themselves from their humanity.
What follows is a continuing dialogue within Ghana’s judiciary on how to balance professional duty with personal identity, a conversation that will shape public perception of the courts in the coming years.
