Activist in Ghana calls on chief justice to apologize for comments
In Ghana, political activist, doctor and commentator Arthur Kobina Kennedy called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to apologize for his comments about state institutions. As MyJoyOnline reports, Kennedy believes that an official of this rank should have independently understood the inappropriateness of statements that could create an impression of political favoritism.
Comments about state institutions
Kennedy was responding to remarks made by Baffoe-Bonnie on September 2 during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF). During his visit to MIIF, the chief justice praised the institution and other state bodies for what he considered improved performance under the current administration.
Baffoe-Bonnie said that the successes he had seen in certain state structures made him reflect on what the country had been doing over the previous eight years. At SSNIT, he also referred to information provided to him about previous plans concerning some of the institution's assets and questioned how Ghana could have found itself in such a situation.
These remarks sparked political and institutional debate. Critics said that comparing the current administration with the previous one could sound political and affect public perceptions of the judiciary's neutrality.
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Call for an apology
Kennedy said that the chief justice does not need special ethical rules to understand the limits of public comments. In his view, the head of the judicial system must set an example for the judiciary and consider how the public perceives his statements. He called on Baffoe-Bonnie to apologize and commit not to repeat this.
The activist also criticized supporters of the NPP and NDC parties for what he considers their inconsistent reaction to controversies surrounding chief justices. He stressed that Baffoe-Bonnie's words should be assessed outside party politics.
Response of the Judicial Service
In a statement dated September 4, Ghana's Judicial Service acknowledged the mixed public reaction to Baffoe-Bonnie's remarks and said they had been made in good faith. The service stressed that the comments were not intended to harm the independence of the judiciary. At the same time, the statement did not report any possible retraction of the remarks or an apology from the chief justice.
