President John Dramani Mahama has nominated His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for consideration as Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.
The nomination, made in accordance with Article 144(1) of the 1992 Constitution, has been forwarded to the Council of State for advice. If endorsed, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie will proceed to Parliament’s Appointments Committee for vetting before final approval by the House and subsequent swearing-in.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who was born on December 26, 1956, at Goaso in the Ahafo Region, has had a judicial career spanning more than three decades. He rose through the ranks from Circuit Court Judge in Duayaw Nkwanta and Kumasi, to High Court Judge in Sunyani and Accra, before his elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2006 and later to the Supreme Court in 2008.
Since April 22, 2025, he has been serving as Acting Chief Justice following the retirement of his predecessor.
Beyond the Bench, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie has held several leadership positions within Ghana’s legal and judicial framework. He is the Acting Chairperson of the General Legal Council, the Board of Legal Education, and the Judicial Council. He also chairs the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council and the Election Management Committee of the Judicial Service.
His professional contributions extend to election jurisprudence, having chaired committees that published successive editions of the Manual on Election Adjudication, including the most recent three-volume 5th Edition in 2024. He has also played a leading role in training judges and magistrates on election-related laws, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and financial crime adjudication.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie is a member of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana and the Ghana Bar Association. His international exposure includes participation in high-level conferences of Chief Justices and Presidents of Constitutional Courts in Egypt, Morocco, India, and Scotland, as well as ECOWAS judicial conferences on constitutional governance, integration, and regional justice.
With his extensive judicial experience, proven leadership, and contributions to both local and international legal development, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie is widely regarded as eminently qualified to assume the high office of Chief Justice.
Source: Presidency communications.
