Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has fired back at the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) against allowing itself to be perceived as an attachment of any government or political party.
He stressed the need for the association to preserve its independence and credibility and must remain committed to protecting constitutional democracy regardless of changes in political leadership.
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie made this remark in a speech delivered on his behalf by the former president of the Ghana Bar Association, Anthony Forson Jnr, at the Annual General Conference on September 14, 2026.
He stated, “The GBA must jealously guard its long-standing nature as the conscience of the legal profession and not allow itself to be perceived as an appendage of any government in power or any political party. Your strength lies in fidelity to the law, constitutionalism, and justice for all.”
“When the vast public statements, timing of interventions, or selective silence create the impression of partisanship, it erodes public trust, weakens its moral authority to hold power to account, and divides its own membership along partisan lines. The GBA must thus speak with principled consistency and ensure its leadership and communities reflect the collective ethos of the bar, not the political preferences of the day.”
“Governments change, parties change, judges retire, lawyers grow old, but the constitution must endure, and the bar must remain one of its vigilant guardians.”
The Chief Justice also reminded lawyers of their responsibility, saying, “We are taught that the law is a shield against arbitrary power. We are taught that every person, however poor, however unpopular, however powerless, is entitled to the protection of the law. We must therefore never become so comfortable that we forget those who are not.”
“When the vulnerable stand before the powerful, the lawyer must stand with the vulnerable. When the poor cannot afford the language of power, the lawyer must lend them the language of the law. When institutions become too powerful to hear the individual, the lawyer must remain, remind them that power in a constitutional democracy is never without limits. This is not activism. That is the calling.”
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s remarks come on the heels of the President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Efua Ghartey, who quoted a biblical admonition in expressing the Bar’s disappointment with remarks made by the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, concerning state-owned enterprises.
According to the GBA president, although the Bar was reluctant to interpret the Chief Justice’s comments, his remarks have raised concerns among members of the legal profession.
Speaking at the Ghana Bar Association Conference 2026/27 in Ada on Monday, September 14, the GBA President, Efua Ghartey, expressed the association’s concerns, saying, “The recent commendation of a public institution and the comparison to a past government’s output, by no mean a person than the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, left much to be desired”.
We do not want to believe that what happened is a fulfilment of Matthew 12:34, which says, ‘Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh,’” she stated.
Ms Ghartey further fired a shot at the Judicial Secretary, saying the apparent attempt to explain or defend the Chief Justice’s comments was, at best, lacklustre.
“Respectfully, the Judicial Secretary’s attempted defence of the Chief Justice was, at best, lacklustre,” she said.
She further referred specifically to Article 128(4) of the 1992 Constitution to caution that the protection of judicial independence must be accompanied by respect for the constitutional limits placed on public office holders.
“The Bar wishes to serve a reminder that much as it is poised to protect the independence of the Judiciary, as per Article 128(4) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the guarded must stay within their bounds as dictated by their calling in the Constitution,” she said.
“And may I repeat that the guarded must stay within their bounds as dictated by their calling in the Constitution,” she added.
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