The Judicial Service has defended Chief Justice (CJ) Paul Baffoe-Bonnie's recent comments on the performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), insisting they were made in good faith and were never intended to compromise judicial independence.

In a statement signed by Judiciary Secretary Musah Ahmed and issued on Friday, September 4, the service said the CJ had taken note of the "mixed public reaction" to observations he made during a recent outreach engagement with some state institutions.

"The observations were made in good faith, and were not intended to serve a purpose inimical to judicial independence," the statement said.

The service maintained that the CJ's constitutional commitments remain unchanged despite the backlash.

"The Chief Justice remains committed to upholding the integrity and independence of the Judiciary, and the promotion of justice and equality before the law," it added.

What Sparked the Reaction

The clarification follows comments Baffoe-Bonnie made during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2.

At MIIF, he praised the institution's performance and that of other public entities, saying the improvements had left him questioning Ghana's performance over the past eight years.

"I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. See, because sometimes when we hear the things that you have done, the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder; some of us keep wondering what really we have been doing in the past eight years," he said.

At SSNIT, he also contrasted the institution's current operations with earlier plans to dispose of some of its assets, including the Labadi Beach Hotel.

Divided opinion

The Judicial Service's intervention comes as the remarks have triggered debate over whether the comments amounted to political commentary and whether they could affect public perceptions of the Judiciary's neutrality.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been especially critical, accusing the Chief Justice of entering the political arena and calling for his resignation, arguing the comments appeared to favour the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC). Manhyia South Member of Parliament (MP) Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah described the remarks as an "unfortunate indiscretion," while the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) urged the Chief Justice to exercise greater restraint and discretion in his public engagements, saying the concern was less about whether he holds views on state institutions and more about how such commentary affects perceptions of judicial independence.

Political activist and physician Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy also criticised the remarks as inappropriate for the head of the Judiciary.

Not everyone agreed the comments were problematic, however. IMANI Africa President Franklin Cudjoe argued that assessing the performance of state institutions using available data does not amount to political commentary, asking, "Is it not the truth that some of these state institutions are performing better? Come on, just look at the data. Did he lie? I mean, did he lie?" NDC Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande also rejected the NPP's call for resignation, while NDC lawyer Hamza Suhuyini defended the Chief Justice's engagements with state institutions as falling within the broader responsibilities of his office.