A private citizen, identified as Gbande Nabin Yussif has has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to sack the yet to be sworn in Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
In a petition signed by Gbande Nabin Yussif on October 6, 2025, the private citizen is pleading with President Mahama to sack the acting chief justice on the grounds of misbehaviour.
He references comments made by Paul Baffoe-Bonnie following a lawsuit filed by Israel Tetteh, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamokpor, and a group calling itself the Ghana Law Society.
Parts of Gbande Nabin Yussif’s comments read, “I respectfully submit this petition for the removal of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana and currently Acting Chief Justice, on the grounds of stated misbehaviour. Article 146(1) provides that: A Justice of the Superior Court or a Chairman of a Regional Tribunal shall not be removed from office except for stated misbehaviour or incompetence or on ground of inability to perform the functions of his office arising from infirmity of body or mind.”
“The conduct of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, as set out below, constitutes stated misbehaviour because it breaches multiple provisions of the Judicial Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates of Ghana, and offends internationally recognised principles of judicial behaviour such as the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct (2002).
“The Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct has been endorsed by the United Nations as part of the global standards for judicial ethics and has been recognised as an inspiring literature in drawing up Ghana’s Judicial Code of Conduct”, part of the petition reads.
The petitioner noted that the acting CJ’s statement is a breach of multiple provisions of Ghana’s Judicial Code.
“Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s conduct amounts to stated misbehaviour within the meaning of Article 146(1). His statements to a plaintiff in a pending constitutional case:
Breach multiple provisions of Ghana’s Judicial Code of Conduct, Contravene internationally recognised principles of judicial propriety,
independence, impartiality, integrity, and avoidance of conflicts of
interest, Undermine the authority and legitimacy of the judiciary, and
Severely damage public confidence in the administration of justice”, the petition stated.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has named His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the new Chief Justice of Ghana.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, September 23, by the Minister of Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2008 by then-President John Agyekum Kufuor and is among the most senior justices of the apex court.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie is now expected to be vetted as Chief Justice by parliament before his swearing-in as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
His appointment follows. President John Mahama sacking the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, from office with immediate effect after he received a first report from the five-member committee he constituted to investigate three petitions brought against the Chief Justice.
See the petition below:
