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The People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability (PAGA) has called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to resign, alleging that his recent conduct has undermined public confidence in the independence and political neutrality of the Judiciary.
In a statement dated Thursday, September 3, 2026, PAGA raised concerns about the Chief Justice’s recent engagements with state institutions, including the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), as well as comments he reportedly made about their performance.
According to the group, comments attributed to the Chief Justice during his visit to MIIF, particularly his question about what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years, amounted to a political assessment of the previous administration while appearing to commend the performance of institutions under the current government.
PAGA argued that such conduct was inconsistent with the constitutional independence of the Judiciary and the need for the Chief Justice to maintain an appropriate distance from the Executive.
“His primary duty is to protect the courts, improve justice delivery and preserve public trust in the independence of judges,”
the group said.
PAGA acknowledged that there was nothing inherently inappropriate about the Chief Justice engaging public officials on matters relating to the justice system. However, it argued that visits to state institutions accompanied by comments that appear to praise one administration while criticising another could create an impression of political bias.
The group also questioned how institutions such as MIIF and SSNIT could have confidence in receiving an impartial hearing if disputes involving them eventually came before the courts.
“How can those parties be confident of an impartial hearing when the head of the Judiciary has already praised the performance of the institutions concerned?”
PAGA asked.
According to the group, such engagements could create a perception of bias and place an unnecessary burden on the Judiciary if legal disputes involving the institutions visited by the Chief Justice eventually reach the Supreme Court.
PAGA further accused Justice Baffoe-Bonnie of falling below the standards expected of the office by publicly assessing the performance of competing political administrations.
The group said it had therefore “lost confidence in Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s judgment and ability to protect the political neutrality of the office of Chief Justice.”
PAGA also alleged that the Chief Justice’s conduct could create the perception that he was seeking favour from the Executive in pursuit of recognition or a possible future appointment to the Council of State after his retirement.
The group has consequently called on Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to resign and urged the relevant constitutional bodies to consider the lawful procedures under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution should he decline to do so.
PAGA further called on the Judicial Council to review the Chief Justice’s engagements with state institutions and establish clearer guidelines governing interactions between serving judges, the Executive, political officeholders and state-owned institutions.
The group maintained that its demand was intended to protect public confidence in the Judiciary, warning that politically sensitive decisions by the courts could become subject to suspicion if citizens perceive the head of the Judiciary as being aligned with a particular political administration.