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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly opposed the ongoing vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for the position of Chief Justice, describing the process as a threat to Ghana’s constitutional order and judicial independence.
In a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP condemned the Mahama administration’s decision to proceed with the nomination despite multiple ongoing legal challenges surrounding the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
“The NPP will witness this travesty, strongly condemn it, and publicly denounce its outcome. The Constitution is the sacred covenant of the Ghanaian people, and we shall never relent in our duty to defend it,” the statement read.
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According to the NPP, the nomination constitutes a “grave breach of constitutional order”, as there are seven substantive legal suits currently pending before the Supreme Court, High Court, and ECOWAS Court of Justice challenging the legitimacy of Justice Torkornoo’s removal.
“It is a cardinal principle of constitutional governance that where the legitimacy of a foundational state action is directly challenged before a competent court, the political branches must exercise restraint until the judiciary has discharged its constitutional mandate,” the statement said.
The party accused the government of disregarding judicial due process, warning that continuing with the appointment amounts to “a pre-emptive assault on the judicial function.”
The NPP also raised a conflict of interest concern, noting that Justice Baffoe-Bonnie had previously presided over the case Assafuah v. Attorney-General, which related directly to the office of the Chief Justice.
“This situation engages the timeless principle of nemo judex in causa sua—that no person shall be a judge in their own cause,” the statement said, adding that his involvement and subsequent acceptance of the nomination undermine public trust in the judiciary.
While acknowledging Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s long and distinguished service on the bench, the NPP described his acceptance of the nomination as “a gross and detrimental failure of judicial leadership.”
The party cautioned the Mahama administration against using political power to subvert constitutional principles, stressing that “political majorities are transient, but constitutional principles are eternal.”
The statement concluded with a reaffirmation of the NPP’s commitment to defending Ghana’s constitutional democracy:
“The Constitution is the sacred covenant of the Ghanaian people, and we shall never relent in our duty to defend it.”
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