President Mahama Nominates Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice
- President John Mahama has nominated Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Ghana's new Chief Justice
- The president submitted his name to the Council of State in line with Article 144 (1) of the constitution
- Baffoe-Bonnie must be vetted and approved by Parliament’s Appointments Committee before assuming office
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President John Dramani Mahama has nominated Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the new Chief Justice of Ghana
In a statement issued by the Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the president forwarded the name of Baffoe-Bonnie to the Council of State for consideration in line with Article 144 (1) of the Ghanaian constitution.
Source: UGC
Before taking over as the Chief Justice, Baffoe-Bonnie will have to be vetted and approved by the Appointments Committee of the Parliament of Ghana.
According to the statement released by the minister, Baffoe-Bonnie's wealth of experience as a Supreme Court judge "renders him eminently qualified" for the role.
"Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has, throughout his distinguished judicial career, served with diligence and integrity at the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and currently, the Supreme Court," the statement read.
"He has earned the esteem of the Bench, the Bar, and the wider legal fraternity for his intellect, impartiality, and unwavering commitment to justice," the statement further added.
Read the statement below:
If approved by Parliament, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie will replace the former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, who was recently removed from office by President Mahama.
Gertrude Torkornoo's removal followed recommendations by a five-member committee established under Article 149 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to probe a petition filed against her.
The process for Torkornoo's dismissal began after a petition dated March 17, 2025, was submitted to the President by a Ghanaian citizen, Daniel Ofori, who sought her removal on grounds of misconduct and stated misbehaviour.
As a result of this, President Mahama suspended her after a prima facie case was established by the Council of State in response to three petitions calling for her removal.
Source: Facebook
In a statement released by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the president named Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the Acting Chief Justice.
The statement also stated that a five-member committee had been formed to investigate the allegations against the suspended Chief Justice.
The committee is composed of:
- Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Justice of the Supreme Court - Chairman
- Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, Justice of the Supreme Court - Member
- Daniel Yaw Domelevo (Former Auditor-General) - Member
- Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo (Ghana Armed Forces) - Member
- Professor James Sefah Dzisah (Associate Professor, University of Ghana) Member
The committee submits its findings against Torkornoo
After probing into the allegations contained in the petition, the committee found that Gertrude Torkornoo's actions amounted to ‘stated misbehaviour’ as defined under Article 146(1).
The committee consequently recommended her removal on three grounds: unlawful expenditure of public funds, abuse of discretionary power, and interference in judicial appointments.
On the grounds of unlawful expenditure of public funds, the committee stated that the former Chief Justice had authorised the Judicial Service to cover travel expenses and per diem allowances for her husband and daughter during private holiday trips in 2023.
This act, according to the committee, was a ‘reckless and avoidable misuse of public funds’.
In relation to the grounds of abuse of discretionary power, the committee stated that her handling of Mr Baiden’s transfer violated Article 296 (a) and (b) of the Constitution and amounted to misbehaviour.
On the grounds of interference in judicial appointments, the committee further observed that she attempted to sidestep the established procedure for nominating Supreme Court Justices, in disregard of the precedent set in the Ghana Bar Association case, a move the committee deemed misbehaviour.
Former Chief Justice speaks on Torkornoo's removal
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that a former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, criticised the removal of Gertrude Torkornoo as Chief Justice.
Torkornoo was also removed as a Supreme Court judge after petitions for her sacking were assessed by an investigative committee.
The committee found that Torkornoo had engaged in the unlawful expenditure of public funds, among other indiscretions.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
