Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Programmes and Advocacy at CDD‑Ghana, said the Chief Justice’s comparison of state institutions under the current administration was inappropriate. The comments came after Chief Justice Paul Baffoe‑Bonnie praised the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public bodies during a visit on Wednesday, September 2.
During the visit, the Chief Justice remarked that some developments he had witnessed made him wonder what Ghana had been doing over the past eight years. Dr Asante, speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, argued that the comparison was ill‑advised, especially given the need to protect public confidence in the administration of justice.
“For me, I think that given the circumstances, it was inappropriate to make the comparison. You could just acknowledge that, and you can see the way people have reacted,” he said. He warned that the public’s reaction should serve as a warning to the Judiciary to be more sensitive in its public engagements, particularly during what he described as difficult periods.
“Public confidence is the most important anchor for the administration of justice; if the public loses any faith in the justice delivery, it will be very difficult for it to execute its mandate,” Dr Asante added. He urged the Judiciary to take the public reaction seriously and use it as an indication of the need for greater sensitivity in its communication.
Dr Asante called for efforts to reverse the worrying trend in public confidence in the justice delivery system, stressing that the Judiciary must respond to the public’s concerns to maintain trust.
