Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has officially referred the nomination of Justice Baffoe-Bonney for the position of Chief Justice to the Appointments Committee.
The Committee is mandated to scrutinize the President’s nominee and present its report to the floor of Parliament (the plenary) for a final determination.
President Mahama submitted the name of the current Acting Chief Justice for Parliament’s consideration and approval, in compliance with Article 144(1) of the 1992 Constitution.
The Speaker has directed the Appointments Committee to prioritise and expedite its work, urging it to report back to the plenary promptly.
The President’s nomination of Justice Baffoe-Bonney follows the dismissal of the former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo. Justice Torkornoo is currently pursuing legal action, challenging her removal and seeking an injunction to halt the vetting process for her replacement.
Justice Torkornoo was relieved of her post based on the recommendations and findings of a constitutional committee established under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
Justice Baffoe-Bonney, who currently serves as the most senior judge on Ghana’s Supreme Court, has been acting in the capacity of Chief Justice since April 2025, following the suspension of Justice Torkornoo.
Justice Baffoe-Bonney attended the Goaso RC Primary and Middle schools from 1962 to 1969, and then proceeded to the Konongo Odumasi Secondary School for his General Certificate Examination (GCE) Ordinary Level from 1969 to 1974, and his GCE Advanced Level from 1974 to 1976.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie then proceeded to the University of Ghana to read law from 1976 to 1979, and finally completed his professional law training at the Ghana School of Law from 1979 to 1981.
He began his judicial career as a Circuit Court Judge in Duayaw Nkwanta and later served as a High Court Judge in Kumasi.
President John Agyekum Kufuor appointed him in 2006 as a Court of Appeal Judge and again in June 2008 as a Supreme Court Judge.
The Chief Justice nominee is married to Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, who is also a lawyer and the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service.
