The Appointments Committee of Parliament has approved the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.
The approval comes after Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie was vetted by the Committee on Monday, November 10, 2025.
The vetting of Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie was clouded with controversy after the Minority Caucus announced its rejection of the nomination and abstained from participating in the vetting proceedings.
The decision to boycott the process was announced by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin following hours of a back-and-forth with Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, which led to a suspension for nearly 30 minutes.
After recess, Afenyo-Markin announced the abstinence of the Minority Caucus from the process as he led his side to walk out, leaving only members of the Majority side on the Appointments Committee to conduct the vetting process.
“Be it known to you, chairman, and the committee and the country that we, the Minority Caucus, hereby vote en bloc to reject the nominee. We would want to state on record that the Majority can proceed with the questions. We do not intend to proceed with any question. We are, however, registering in the strongest terms that we reject the nomination, and the records should reflect that the report of this committee be a majority report,” the Minority Leader and MP for Effutu stated.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who served as the Acting Chief Justice, was nominated by President John Mahama to succeed former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo after her removal from office.
The decision by the Minority to reject the nominee and boycott the crucial vetting session was rooted in deep-seated concerns over the process of selection and pending cases filed by Justice Torkonoo challenging her removal.
The vetting proceeded without the cross-examination and scrutiny traditionally provided by the Minority Caucus, raising questions about the legitimacy and bipartisan support for the eventual confirmation.
But during the approval process in Parliament on Thursday, Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, indicated that although the Minority caucus walked out of the vetting, the nominee was adequately vetted by the Majority caucus, and exhibited competence and deep knowledge of the law.
“The nominee demonstrated outstanding competence, deep knowledge of the law and a firm grasp of the judicial ethics. He addressed questions posed by the committee with professionalism, clarity and intellectual rigour . The nominee possesses the requisites of qualification,” Ahiafor stated.
The Minority then again contested the nominee, citing the pending cases, which also dragged for some hours before the Chief Justice’s approval. The House engaged in a headcount after back-and-forth where the “Ayes” had 163 votes with the “Nos” having 69 votes.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has been a prominent figure in Ghana’s judiciary, serving as a Justice of the Supreme Court before taking on the mantle of Acting Chief Justice.
At the 29th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards on Saturday, November 8, 2025, he was celebrated for his role in the judiciary and delivered a stirring speech calling on journalists to uphold the principles of truth, courage, and responsibility in their work.
His ascent to the nomination was viewed by many as a logical progression, given his seniority and experience.
