The Minority in Parliament has called on the Speaker and the Appointments Committee to suspend the approval process of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice, citing seven unresolved court cases challenging the legality of the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, was vetted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, 2025, with the Minority rejecting his nomination and boycotting the proceedings, leaving the majority alone to conduct the vetting.
In a statement released on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, the Minority Caucus argued that proceeding with the vetting would violate the sub judice rule enshrined in Parliament’s Standing Orders 103(f) and 123(1), which prohibit parliamentary actions that could prejudice matters pending before the courts.
“The constitutional question is straightforward,” the statement said.
“Can Parliament properly proceed to vet and approve a nominee for Chief Justice while the lawfulness of the very vacancy being filled remains under active judicial determination?”
According to the Caucus, there are seven active judicial proceedings—three before the Supreme Court, three at the High Court, and one at the ECOWAS Court of Justice—each questioning the constitutionality and legality of Justice Torkornoo’s removal. The cases, it said, remain pending without determination.
The Minority warned that if Parliament goes ahead with the approval and the courts later find the removal unlawful, the country could face a constitutional crisis, with “two individuals holding competing claims to the office of Chief Justice.”
“This is the very mischief the Standing Orders seek to prevent,” the statement noted, stressing that Parliament must “stay its hand” until judicial processes conclude.
Citing parliamentary precedents set by former Speakers Peter Ala Adjetey, Edward Doe Adjaho, and Bernard Ahiafor, the Minority said the Speaker is constitutionally bound to halt proceedings on matters before the courts to avoid undermining the independence and authority of the judiciary.
“The House must demonstrate fidelity to its own rules and respect for the separation of powers,” Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated. “The prudent course is to await judicial determination before proceeding.”
The Caucus clarified that its call is not an attempt to obstruct the President’s constitutional authority to nominate a Chief Justice but a “measured and lawful pause” to ensure Parliament’s actions rest on settled constitutional grounds.
“It is not paralysis but prudence,” the statement concluded. “Waiting for the courts to speak is wisdom. The Constitution rewards restraint respect for the rule of law.”
Source: Channel1TV.
