The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has said the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has the right to commend improvements in the performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

However, the Conference said such commendations should be made without political comparisons that could create an impression of partisan judgment.

The comments follow criticism of the Chief Justice over remarks he made during working visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2.

The Chief Justice had commended MIIF for what he described as an impressive turnaround compared to the previous administration and questioned what had been done over the previous eight years.

The remarks sparked debate over whether they were appropriate for the head of the Judiciary, with critics arguing that they could create an impression of political bias.

“There is nothing improper, in itself, in the Chief Justice visiting public institutions, acquainting himself with their operations, or commending genuine improvement,” the Conference said in a statement dated Sunday, September 6.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference said the reference to the “past eight years” could reasonably be interpreted as a comparison between the current administration and its predecessor.

The Judicial Service had already clarified that the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith and were not intended to compromise judicial independence.

The Conference, however, said the incident raised broader concerns about the need for the head of the Judiciary to maintain both actual and perceived impartiality.

“The office of Chief Justice is not that of an ordinary public commentator,” the Conference said, stressing that the courts could be called upon to adjudicate disputes involving the government, political parties and public institutions.

The Conference also rejected suggestions that the remarks, on their own, amounted to evidence of partisanship or judicial capture, describing calls for the Chief Justice’s resignation over the matter as disproportionate.