The Minority in Parliament has accused Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine and Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie of intentionally manipulating the judicial process to enable the confirmation of the latter as the substantive Chief Justice, despite ongoing legal disputes regarding the removal of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In a strongly worded statement released in Accra on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, the Minority Caucus claimed that the Attorney-General has “failed to file defenses” in all seven court cases challenging the legality of Justice Torkornoo’s removal.
The Caucus characterized this as a “calculated strategy” to postpone judicial proceedings long enough for Parliament to endorse Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, effectively making the pending lawsuits irrelevant.
“This cannot be dismissed as a simple administrative oversight or bureaucratic inefficiency,” the statement, signed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, asserted.
“The pattern indicates a deliberate strategy—prolong judicial determination sufficiently to install a new Chief Justice, thus rendering the constitutional challenges moot.”
The Minority also charged Justice Baffoe-Bonnie with a significant conflict of interest, pointing out that he was part of the Supreme Court panel that refused to stop Justice Torkornoo’s removal earlier this year.
According to the statement, he now stands to gain directly from that ruling by being nominated as her successor.
“As Acting Chief Justice, he is responsible for the administration of justice, yet none of the ongoing constitutional cases contesting the removal of Justice Torkornoo have been scheduled for hearing. No panels have been formed, no defenses compelled, and no actions taken to progress the cases,” the statement noted.
“Every day of delay enhances his candidacy.”
The Minority contended that the situation jeopardizes judicial ethics and erodes public trust in the judiciary, cautioning that moving forward with the vetting would implicate Parliament in “instigating a constitutional crisis.”
“When the leader of the Judiciary employs administrative authority to protect himself from examination, the ethical standing of the institution disintegrates,” the statement further elaborated.
“Parliament should refrain from endorsing such misconduct.”
Consequently, the Caucus has reiterated its demand for the suspension of the vetting and approval process for Justice Baffoe-Bonnie until the courts resolve the ongoing cases concerning Justice Torkornoo’s dismissal.
“This issue transcends partisanship; it is fundamentally about principle,” the Minority asserted.
