Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, a noted political activist and social commentator, has publicly urged Chief Justice Paul Baffoe‑Bonnie to abandon his recent visits to state‑owned enterprises and concentrate on the pressing issues facing Ghana’s Judiciary.
In a statement, Kennedy criticised the Chief Justice’s engagement with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on September 2, arguing that such visits fall outside the proper remit of the head of the Judiciary.
During the MIIF visit, the Chief Justice praised the fund’s performance and questioned why Ghana had not achieved similar results over the previous eight years. He also compared SSNIT’s current operations with earlier attempts to sell its assets, remarking that “we wonder what we really have been doing in the past eight years.” These comments sparked public debate over potential political commentary by a judicial figure.
Kennedy said the Chief Justice should instead tackle issues such as the “serpentine appellate process,” prolonged pre‑trial detention of prisoners whose case dockets are allegedly lost, judicial corruption highlighted by Afrobarometer reports, and the assignment of judicial panels. He warned that ignoring these matters could tarnish the judiciary’s reputation.
“Our serpentine appellate process, prisoners who have sat in prison forever and whose dockets have been lost, judicial corruption as has been witnessed by Afrobarometer reports, assignment of panels and other significant things that bring our judiciary into disrepute,” Kennedy said. He urged the Chief Justice to prioritise these concerns to leave a positive legacy.
The criticism comes amid a broader debate over judicial neutrality. The New Patriotic Party has called for the Chief Justice’s resignation, while the ruling National Democratic Congress has rejected that demand. The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development has urged the Chief Justice to exercise restraint to protect judicial impartiality.
In response, the Judicial Service stated that the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith and that he remains committed to upholding the integrity and independence of the Judiciary. Kennedy, however, maintains that the Chief Justice must demonstrate this commitment by focusing directly on institutional challenges within the judiciary.
