President John Dramani Mahama who’s out of the country for the 80th United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States (US), has nominated the acting Chief Justice (CJ), Justice Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie as the substantive.
As demanded the Constitution, the President has written to the Council of State seeking its advice on his choice of 68-year old to lead the judiciary.
A statement from the Minister for Government Communications and spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dated Tuesday September 23, confirmed the development.
It follows the removal of Gertrude Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, who was removed from office earlier this month as the CJ for stated misbehavior.
It comes amidst the completion of work of a 5-member committee set up to probe three petitions brought against her, one of which found her to have misconducted herself.
Justice Bonnie, who has been at the apex court since 2008 after he was nominated by former President John Kufuor, has been acting CJ for months following Mrs Torkornoo’s suspension in April pending the outcome of the Committee’s investigation.
He will be expected to be vetted by the Appointment Committee of Parliament in the coming days. If approved by the Committee and then Parliament, the exercise will complete the entire process to remove and replace the head of the judiciary.
Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has welcome the decision by the President. According to him, it is a step in the right direction because he is the most qualified and senior most judge.
Kpebu, who in the past criticized the side stepping of Justice Bonnie to pick Justice Torkornoo as CJ by former President Akufo-Addo, said it was refreshing to know that, the President chose the nominee despite he being appointed by former President Kufuor and probably having ideology different from his.
He was nominated to the High Court by late President Jerry Rawlings and later Appeals Court by former President Kufuor before finally nominating him to the apex court in 2008.
Who is Justice Baffoe Bonnie?
He was born on 26 December 1956, and had his basic education at Goaso in the Ahafo Region, before continuing to Konongo Odumase Secondary School, where he obtained both his Ordinary and Advanced Level certificates.
He studied law at the University of Ghana and later at the Ghana Law School, where he was called to the Bar some 42 years ago.
He rose through the ranks of the judiciary, serving as a Circuit Court Judge in Kumasi, a High Court Judge at Duayaw Nkwanta also in the Ahafo Region, and later as an Appeals Court Judge before his elevation to the Supreme Court.
The Council of State is expected to advise the President in the coming days, after which Parliament will take up the nomination for vetting and approval.
Incidentally, he is married to the Director General (D-G) of the Ghana Prisons Service Patience Baffoe-Bonnie and they are blessed with one child.
Below is the statement
By Gifty Boateng