PRESIDENT MAHAMA TO SWEAR IN JUSTICE PAUL BAFFOE-BONNIE AS CHIEF JUSTICE
The inauguration follows a contentious parliamentary approval process where the Minority raised strong objections over the unresolved removal of the former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo.
President John Dramani Mahama is set to officially swear in Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the new Chief Justice of Ghana today, Monday, November 17, 2025. This follows his approval by Parliament last Thursday in a process that was marked by significant political division.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who has been serving as the acting Chief Justice since the suspension of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo in April, was approved through a head count. The count recorded 163 votes from the Majority caucus in favor, while the Minority, with 69 members present, officially opposed the nomination.
The approval was not without controversy. The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, argued forcefully for a secret ballot, insisting that some members of the Majority had reservations about the nominee. He stated that the Minority could not support the nomination because the “prima facie case against Torkornoo hasn’t been published,” calling the former Chief Justice’s removal a rights violation.
Despite the objections, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, presented a positive report to the House, stating that the nominee “demonstrated outstanding competence, deep knowledge of the law and a firm grasp of the judicial ethics” during his vetting.
During his vetting, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie acknowledged the judiciary stands at a “defining moment” and pledged to lead a transformation based on three core pillars: Procedural Clarity, Efficiency & Accountability, and Open Justice. He vowed to ensure that access to justice “should not depend on who you are or your connections.”
His swearing-in solidifies his position at the head of Ghana’s judiciary, even as legal challenges to his predecessor’s removal continue in various courts.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
