Former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has advised Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to be more selective in his engagements with state institutions to protect the independence and public perception of the Judiciary.
Domelevo said while the Chief Justice may have legitimate reasons for visiting public institutions, the authority and influence attached to his position require him to exercise caution in his public activities.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Saturday, September 5, Mr Domelevo suggested that the Chief Justice should focus more on professional, social and public events where his participation would be less likely to create concerns about the Judiciary’s neutrality.
He explained that the Chief Justice occupies a unique position within Ghana’s constitutional system and is therefore not viewed in the same way as an ordinary citizen.
According to Daniel Domelevo, maintaining judicial independence involves not only ensuring that the Judiciary is free from interference but also avoiding situations that could create a perception of political closeness.
He said this was particularly important because disagreements involving the government or state institutions could eventually end up before the courts.
Mr Domelevo therefore warned that interactions between the Chief Justice and government-linked institutions could potentially raise questions about the impartiality of the Judiciary, even when there was no improper intention behind such engagements.
He acknowledged that the Chief Justice’s intentions during his engagements may have been positive but said the public perception created by those interactions was a matter that could not be ignored.
His comments come after recent visits by Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to institutions including the Minerals Income Investment Fund and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
During some of these engagements, the Chief Justice reportedly commended improvements recorded by public institutions under the current administration.
