Suspend Baffoe-Bonnie’s confirmation over legal challenges – Minority to Parliament
The Minority in Parliament has accused Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine and Acting Chief Justice Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie of deliberately manipulating the judicial process to facilitate the confirmation of the latter as substantive Chief Justice, despite ongoing legal challenges over the removal of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Accra on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, the Minority Caucus alleged that the Attorney-General has “refused to file defences” in all seven court cases contesting the legality of Justice Torkornoo’s removal.
The Caucus described this as a “calculated stratagem” to delay judicial proceedings long enough for Parliament to approve Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, effectively rendering the pending suits meaningless.
“This cannot be dismissed as mere administrative oversight or bureaucratic inefficiency,” the statement signed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said.
“The pattern reveals a deliberate strategy—delay judicial determination sufficiently long to install a new Chief Justice, thereby rendering the constitutional challenges academic.”
The Minority also accused Justice Baffoe-Bonnie of a serious conflict of interest, noting that he presided over the Supreme Court panel that declined to halt Justice Torkornoo’s removal earlier this year.
According to the statement, he now stands to benefit directly from that ruling by being nominated as her successor.
“As Acting Chief Justice, he bears responsibility for the administration of justice, yet none of the pending constitutional cases challenging the removal of Justice Torkornoo have been listed for hearing. No panels have been empanelled, no defences compelled, and no action taken to advance the cases,” the statement read.
“Every day of delay strengthens his candidacy.”
The Minority argued that the situation compromises judicial ethics and undermines public confidence in the judiciary, warning that proceeding with the vetting would make Parliament complicit in “institutional manipulation.”
“When the head of the Judiciary uses administrative powers to shield himself from scrutiny, the institution’s moral authority collapses,” the statement continued.
“Parliament must not ratify such impropriety.”
The Caucus has therefore renewed its call for the vetting and approval of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to be suspended until the courts have determined the pending cases regarding Justice Torkornoo’s removal.
“This is not a matter of partisanship but of principle,” the Minority insisted.
“Confirming the nominee under these conditions would erode public trust and violate the constitutional separation of powers.”
