Mr Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the newly inaugurated Chief Justice, has stated that Ghana’s Judiciary must be independent, impartial and accessible
“It must not serve the powerful or the connected at the expense of the weak and the vulnerable. It must resist any incursions on its freedoms but also embrace accountability, transparency and continuous reform,” Mr Baffoe-Bonnie stated in his inaugural address as Chief Justice of Ghana at the Presidency in Accra.
Mr Baffoe-Bonnie, who was sworn into office by President John Dramani Mahama, becomes the 16th Chief Justice of Ghana.
The inauguration is in line with Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
Prior to his inauguration, Mr Baffoe-Bonnie who is the most senior Supreme Court Justice has been the Acting Chief Justice for the past seven months following the suspension and subsequent removal from office of Lady Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, based on the recommendations of the Justice Gabriel Pwamang Committee.
Mr Baffoe-Bonnie said in recent times, many Ghanaians had expressed concern about delays access and perceptions of fairness in our courts.
“I wish to confront those concerns head on,” the Chief Justice stated.
“The judiciary must not only be seen to be fair but must be fair by clearing backlogs, reforming processes, promoting alternative dispute resolutions where appropriate, harnessing technology and ensuring that ordinary citizens can approach the courts with confidence. These are not optional add-ons but they are imperatives.”
Mr Baffoe-Bonnie assured the President that as Chief Justice he recognized that every court in the land from the smallest magistrate court to the highest tribunal holds a sacred duty to ensure that the rights, liberties and human dignity of Ghanaians were respected and protected.
He reiterated that it was not the law alone that mattered but how the law was applied, how justice was dispensed and how courts earned the confidence of the people.
“We serve a nation built on the 1992 Constitution which enshrines not only rights but also responsibilities,” he said.