Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has explained why he now prefers to rely on prepared remarks rather than speak extemporaneously at public functions.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said his experience had taught him that speaking off the cuff could sometimes lead to unintended controversies, with his comments subsequently becoming subjects of discussion on major media platforms.
The Chief Justice made the disclosure while addressing a gathering, where he asked participants to bear with him as he read from a prepared text.
He said he has realised that whenever he speak without preparation, he could inadvertently “step on toes” and create problems that extends beyond the immediate occasion.
“Over the period, I have come to realise that anytime I open my mouth to speak extemporarily, I step on toes and create problems that are sometimes discussed as far as at flagship programmes like Talking Point,” he said.
Explaining his decision to prepare his remarks beforehand, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said he would rather put his thoughts down in writing than speak entirely from his head or “stomach”.
“So I will not like to speak from my head or stomach, so I’ll put something down. So please bear with me,” he added.
The Chief Justice’s comments come against the backdrop of public scrutiny he faced in September and October 2026 following remarks he made during official visits to state institutions.
During working visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on September 2, 2026, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie commended what he described as improvements in the financial and administrative performance of the institutions.
In the course of his remarks, he questioned what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years, given the turnaround he said he had observed at the institutions.
He also suggested that previous management had allowed the institutions’ affairs to deteriorate significantly.
The comments triggered a political and public debate over the extent to which a sitting Chief Justice should comment on the performance of institutions under successive governments.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) criticised the remarks, describing them as political commentary that was inconsistent with the expected conduct of a judicial officer.
NPP former deputy general secretary Haruna Mohammed subsequently called on the Chief Justice to retract the comments or resign, arguing that the remarks created concerns about the perceived political neutrality of the judiciary.
The controversy also attracted attention from civil society and legal stakeholders, including the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).
Concerns were raised that comparisons between the performance of institutions under different administrations could create an impression of political alignment and potentially undermine public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
Against this background, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s latest explanation about his preference for prepared speeches highlights his awareness of the consequences that can follow spontaneous remarks by holders of high constitutional offices.
His decision to prepare his speeches, he indicated, is intended to allow him to carefully consider his words and avoid remarks that could be interpreted differently from his intended message.
By 1960news.com
