A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, has defended Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie following criticism from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over his presence in Canada to support the Black Stars ahead of Ghana’s World Cup match against Panama.
The Chief Justice came under scrutiny after he was seen in viral videos and photographs alongside Vice President Prof. Jane Opoku-Agyemang during her visit to interact with the national team in Canada.
The NPP has also questioned the Chief Justice’s attendance at public events organised by some NDC members, arguing that such appearances could undermine public confidence in the independence of the judiciary.
However, speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, June 17, with Sammie Wiafe, Adawudu questioned whether the Chief Justice had breached any ethical or legal standards through his conduct, describing the Chief Justice’s decision to support the Black Stars as an act of patriotism.
“Has the Chief Justice breached any code of ethics of a judge? Has he breached any code governing office holders? I don’t think he has,” he said.
“The mere fact that he has been patriotic and gone to wish the Black Stars well and give them moral support, I don’t think that is a problem. The Chief Justice did not travel just to watch the World Cup. He has other activities that have been lined up,” he added.
According to him, the Chief Justice’s attendance at the match and interaction with other government officials should not be construed as evidence of bias or a threat to the delivery of justice.
“If he is in that jurisdiction and decides, as a Ghanaian, to go and watch the match and exchange pleasantries with other officials, you cannot conclude that because of that proximity, people will not get justice or there will be no fairness. I think that is far from fair,” Adawudu added.
He dismissed the concerns, describing them as an attempt by the opposition to manufacture a controversy.
“I think that this is just something that they want to make a mole out of an anthill. The NPP had always been looking out for a scandal—anything that they can lay their hands on, any resemblance of some collaboration on political matters that can be turned into a scandal,” he said.
Adawudu argued that the Chief Justice’s interaction with officials from other branches of government should not be interpreted as compromising his impartiality.
“If the Chief Justice is seen to be close with other organs of government and they are performing their duties, that should not mean that the proximity of the Chief Justice to other heads of the organs of government means that the trust and fairness he is expected to uphold has been trampled upon,” he stated.
He noted that the Chief Justice, as the administrative head of the judiciary, routinely engages with other state institutions as part of his official responsibilities.
“In the first place, the Chief Justice is the administrative head of the judiciary. He plays administrative roles. He has meetings with other organs of government. He has people under him, and they have meetings to ensure social cohesion and make sure that this country moves on,” Adawudu said.
Touching on the Chief Justice’s attendance at some NDC members’ events, he questioned whether the Chief Justice, by virtue of his position, was expected to isolate himself from society.
He argued that he had merely joined colleagues and acquaintances with whom he had established relationships.
“He has not breached any code of ethics for judges. Has the Chief Justice become an island because of the office he occupies? He was there to support his colleagues and people close to him with whom he had built relationships. Do you know the relationships he has cultivated with these families?” he asked.