Chief Justice crossed the line, sounded like government cheerleader – Prof. Boadi
Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy, Professor Isaac Boadi, has said Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie crossed the line of judicial neutrality with his recent comments on the performance of some state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
His comments follow criticism of the Chief Justice over remarks he made during a working visit to the Mineral Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2.
The Chief Justice had commended MIIF for what he described as an impressive turnaround compared to the previous administration and questioned what had been done over the previous eight years.
The remarks have since triggered debate over whether they were appropriate for the head of the Judiciary, with critics arguing that they could create an impression of political bias.
Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews’ AM Show on Friday, September 4, Prof. Boadi said the Chief Justice's comments had gone beyond what could be considered appropriate for his office.
Prof. Boadi said the position occupied by the Chief Justice demands a high level of caution because his comments and actions are closely scrutinised due to the constitutional importance of his office.
“The chief justice occupies an important constitutional office, and therefore whatever he does, whatever he says, are carefully considered. That is why a Chief Justice is not even allowed to play a draft in public because of the insults. So we understand the position of a leader,” he said.
Prof. Boadi said the reference to the previous eight years in the Chief Justice’s remarks could easily be interpreted as a reference to the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
He also pointed to the Chief Justice’s reference to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the attempted sale of some of its assets, including the Labadi Beach Hotel, as further evidence that the comments had taken on a political dimension.
According to him, while the Chief Justice may have been stating facts, he should have exercised greater restraint and balanced his comments by also acknowledging state institutions that had not performed well under the current administration.
He said the controversy did not, however, justify calls for the Chief Justice to resign.
Prof. Boadi instead called for the Chief Justice to clarify or retract the comments and acknowledge that they were inappropriate.