Also known as: Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie · His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie · Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo · Torkornoo · former Chief Justice of Ghana · Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie · Justice Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie · Paul Baffoe-Bonni · Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonni · His Lordship the Chief Justice · Paul Baffoe-Bonney · Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonney · Baffoe Bonnie · Justice Baffoe Bonnie · Chief Justice Baffoe Bonnie · His Lordship Baffoe Bonnie
… Mr Gorni is further asking the Supreme Court to direct the Chief Justice to introduce arrangements, including rotational vacation sittings, to allow the two courts to continue hearing and determining cases during the legal vacation. …
… According to Mr Otoo, while the High Court rules may give the Chief Justice the authority to issue directions concerning court sittings during the legal vacation, such powers should be exercised sparingly and with regard to established legal practice. …
… He told the court that the lawyer had previously indicated that he would not be available during the legal vacation and had subsequently petitioned the Chief Justice over the decision to proceed with the trial during the period. …
The Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonney, has defended the establishment of specialised courts to deal with corruption, financial crimes and illegal mining (galamsey)-related cases, dismissing perceptions that the initiative is intended to target politicians. …
There is a raging controversy following the petitions of lawyers Godfred Dame and Atta Akyea to the Chief Justice protesting the continuation of cases against their clients during the legal vacation. …
President of the Young Lawyers Forum of the Ghana Bar Association, Noah Ephraem Adamtey Tetteh, has defended the Chief Justice’s authority to direct that specific cases be heard, rejecting arguments that vacation courts are limited strictly to interlocutory matters and emergency …
… His comments come amid debate over the Chief Justice’s directive concerning the continued hearing of selected cases, including the case involving former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen and others. …
Remarks by His Lordship the Chief Justice at the congress of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana must bring firm clarity to one issue in the ongoing, rather needless, legal vacation debate. …
The Majority Chief Whip and President of the Ghana Law Society, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has criticised the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) for responding to concerns raised by law firms over the availability of lawyers during proceedings on the petition against the Chief Justice. …
The defence lawyer for nurse Salomey Awiti Baffoe, charged with abetting publication of false news in the "Ghana Jollof" saga, has announced plans to appeal the High Court's decision to deny bail and will petition the Chief Justice to allow the Court of Appeal to hear the matter. The High Court held that Ms Baffoe posed a risk of witness interference in the cyber-related investigation, though her defence argues that investigations concerning her have been completed and remaining probes target third parties involved in video redistribution.
The defence lawyer for nurse Salomey Awiti Baffoe, charged with abetting publication of false news in the "Ghana Jollof" saga, has announced plans to appeal the High Court's decision to deny bail and will petition the Chief Justice to allow the Court of Appeal to hear the matter. The High Court held that Ms Baffoe posed a risk of witness interference in the cyber-related investigation, though her defence argues that investigations concerning her have been completed and remaining probes target third parties involved in video redistribution.
The Minority in Parliament has accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of abusing its powers after EOCO officials allegedly attempted to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at court premises immediately after he had represented a client in court. The Minority Caucus questioned whether investigative agencies have authority to enter court premises with intention to arrest suspects and called on the Chief Justice to examine the circumstances.
The opposition NPP has raised concerns over the continued detention of Techiman-based nurse Salomey Awiti Bafoh, who was remanded by the Adenta Circuit Court for allegedly aiding in the publication and circulation of false news on social media. The party is questioning the basis for the court's decision to remand her for two additional weeks and to prosecute her before the Adenta Circuit Court.
More than 100 District Courts across Ghana's 16 regions are reportedly operating without magistrates, causing prolonged delays in case hearings. A judge disclosed that some affected courts have gone more than eight months without regular sittings, while 134 applicants shortlisted for magistrate appointments await presidential approval since June 2026.
Former SSNIT Board Chairperson Elizabeth Ohene responds to a Chief Justice video in which he praised SSNIT's current condition and questioned what happened during the preceding eight years, arguing that the current management is also seeking strategic investors for hotels and that the institution's turnaround was not as miraculous as portrayed.
Chief Justice Baffoe Bonnie said his recent comments on state-owned enterprises' performance were made in good faith and not intended to undermine judicial independence, according to a press release from the Judicial Secretary.
The People's Forum has written to Chief Justice Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie expressing concern that his public and social proximity to executive officials and NDC party members could undermine public confidence in the Judiciary's independence and neutrality, arguing that the courts must not only be independent but be perceived as such.
The NPP has questioned the Chief Justice's neutrality after he praised the performance of MIIF and SSNIT during recent visits, remarking that developments he witnessed made him wonder what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years. The party views his comments as concerning to his impartiality.
The New Patriotic Party has accused Ghana's justice system of operating at "two speeds," with legal processes moving rapidly in cases involving government opponents while proceeding slowly for government allies, claiming this reflects coordination between the Judiciary and Executive to target political opponents.
The New Patriotic Party has accused the Chief Justice of neglecting Ghana's deteriorating court infrastructure—including dilapidated courtrooms, overwhelmed registries, and poor working conditions—while instead focusing on monitoring the activities of the Executive.
The NPP has called for the Chief Justice's immediate resignation, alleging he made partisan political comments during a visit to state institutions, praising their performance and questioning Ghana's progress over the previous eight years.
Justice Edward Amoako Asante, a Supreme Court judge nominee, told Parliament's Appointments Committee that AI is unlikely to replace diligent lawyers but could render lazy lawyers redundant. He advocated integrating AI into Ghana's judicial system to improve efficiency, strengthen legal research, and expedite case determination, citing experience with AI adoption at the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says his petition against Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has been put on ice following a political settlement, though it remains before the Chief Justice. He claims the petition contains substantial evidence but has stalled due to what he describes as political intervention.
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has vowed to publish the full contents of his petition against Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng if the case is dismissed. Kpebu says the petition, which was forwarded to the Chief Justice, remains pending due to what he describes as a political settlement.
Supreme Court nominee Anthony Forson Jnr told Parliament's Appointments Committee that greater use of information and communication technology and afternoon court sittings could help the judiciary reduce its backlog of cases. He cited his experience digitising Ghana Bar Association operations as evidence that technology can improve judicial efficiency.
The Presiding Judge of Adenta Circuit Court 1 has cautioned lawyers to use legal appeals and proper procedures rather than public attacks or insults when challenging court rulings. She noted that the Ghana Bar Association could take disciplinary action against such conduct and cited her own experience of receiving threats over judicial decisions.
A Supreme Court judgment by Justice Gabriel Pwamang on an injunction application against the Chief Justice's vacation court has prompted critique over its treatment of lawyers' working conditions and judicial discretion. The ruling emphasizes public interest and the constitutional right to expeditious trial, but critics argue it overlooks practical realities of litigation practice.
The Supreme Court dismissed Ofoase-Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah's application to stop selected criminal trials during the legal vacation (August–September). Oppong Nkrumah has signalled his legal team will study the ruling before deciding whether to seek a review, noting the judge acknowledged differential treatment of some cases but found it did not violate constitutional provisions.
The President-elect of the Ghana School of Law Students' Representative Council has petitioned the Independent Examinations Committee for a one-time transitional dispensation allowing Part I students who fail more than two subjects to rewrite rather than repeat the year, citing exceptional circumstances from the introduction of a new legal education regime that discontinues the existing PLC programme.
Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has rejected the Ghana Bar Association's position on legal vacation, calling the interpretation "bizarre" and "not workable." He argued that vacation judges are entitled to their own vacation time after working during the August–September court closure and can hear substantive cases from their own courts, not only motions and urgent matters.
Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has defended the government's push for speedy trials, arguing that the NDC's position aligns with constitutional requirements that accused persons have cases determined without undue delay. He rejected claims that the government was manipulating the legal vacation to secure favourable outcomes in cases involving former government officials.
Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai has challenged critics who claim the government's pursuit of quick trials manipulates justice for partisan ends, arguing that speed alone does not pervert justice. He defended the use of vacation judges to hear cases during legal vacation, saying they are entitled to handle urgent matters while on break.
Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has rejected claims that criminal trials should not be conducted during the legal vacation without lawyers' consent, arguing that allowing lawyers to determine when cases are heard would undermine the judiciary's purpose. He disputed the Ghana Bar Association's interpretation as unworkable, saying it would leave vacation judges unable to hear cases for months.
The Accra High Court has adjourned the trial of former NSB Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene and his wife to August 25, pending the Supreme Court's determination of an injunction application that seeks to restrain the High Court from hearing the case during legal vacation.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, MP for Ofoase Ayirebi, has filed a writ at the Supreme Court challenging the Chief Justice's decision to allow judges to hear selected criminal cases during legal vacation, arguing it violates constitutional provisions on equality, fairness, and workers' rights, and constitutes selective justice.
Professor Kwaku Asare has challenged whether the Chief Justice's decision to allow selected criminal trials during the legal vacation violates constitutional rights, as claimed by former Education Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in a Supreme Court suit. Asare questioned what aspect of directing judges to continue hearing criminal cases could constitute unfair, unreasonable, arbitrary or biased conduct under the Constitution.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has filed suit in the Supreme Court challenging the Chief Justice's warrants directing selected judges to conduct criminal trials during the legal vacation, arguing the orders are unconstitutional and amount to selective justice that violates the health and rights of judges and lawyers.
Under the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004, Order 79 Rule 1(1) vests in the Chief Justice the power to appoint any day, including vacation days, for hearing cases "as circumstances require," making vacation periods not inherently unsuitable for trials.
An opinion piece contests the Ghana Bar Association President's claims in an August 10, 2026 letter to the Chief Justice that vacation judges do not conduct trials and that counsel control whether to appear before vacation courts. The writer argues neither claim is supported by law, rules, practice, or reason.