Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference calls for restraint

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has urged public office holders to exercise restraint in their public statements following controversial remarks by the country's Chief Justice. Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi of Sunyani, president of the conference, stated that judicial independence requires both actual impartiality and the visible appearance of being above partisan contests.

The call for restraint follows comments made by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the Minerals Income Investment Fund on September 2. During these visits, the Chief Justice reportedly praised improvements in the performance of these institutions under current management while questioning their performance under previous leadership. These remarks were interpreted as a comparison between the current administration and the previous government.

While the bishops noted that it is not improper for the Chief Justice to visit public institutions or commend genuine improvements, they emphasized that all public officials must maintain a standard of restraint regardless of their political affiliation. Bishop Gyamfi also noted that demands for the Chief Justice to resign based on these remarks are disproportionate to the offense.