Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie urges judges to maintain humanity

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has urged judges and magistrates to maintain their humanity while fulfilling the heavy demands of their judicial offices. Speaking at the opening of the 45th Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), he emphasized the importance of balancing professional duty with personal life.

Reflecting on his own career, the Chief Justice admitted to facing criticism when his personal engagements intersected with his official role. He noted that attending public events to honor friends or relatives, as well as undertaking official visits in his capacity as Chair of the Council for Legal Education and Training, had occasionally drawn public scrutiny. He remarked that while staying behind the walls of the office might have been the ‘safer course,’ he believes judicial officers should not completely detach themselves from ordinary human relationships.

Addressing the theme ‘Balance Beyond the Bench: Harmonising Duty, Justice and Life,’ Baffoe-Bonnie stated that while the judicial robe requires discipline and distance, it should not require officials to cease being human. He argued that the challenge for the judiciary is learning how to be both a judge and a person without allowing one role to compromise the other.