Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has spoken about the personal demands that come with holding high judicial office, saying judges should maintain their humanity despite the professional restraint expected of them.

He made the remarks while speaking at the opening of the 45th Annual Conference of the Judges and Magistrates Association of Ghana on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

The Chief Justice acknowledged that his efforts to balance official responsibilities with personal relationships and public engagements had sometimes attracted criticism.

“I have in recent times run into some trouble in this office precisely because I allowed my humanity to overtake my official restraint,” he said.

He cited instances when he attended public events to honour close friends and relatives, as well as official engagements undertaken in his capacity as Chair of the Council for Legal Education and Training.

“There have been occasions when I have attended public events to honour close friends and relatives and others when, in my capacity as chair of the Council for Legal Education and Training, I have undertaken official visits and engagements where perhaps the safer course would have been to remain behind the walls of the office,” he said.

According to him, some of these activities had generated strong public reactions, but the experience had reinforced his belief that judicial officers should not completely detach themselves from ordinary human relationships.

“But these experiences, which have sometimes drawn a cacophony of noises, some of which border on pure mischief, have rather reminded me and reinforced my thinking that we must never abandon our humanity simply because we have assumed judicial office,” he said.

His comments come amid public debate over remarks he made during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), where he compared aspects of the institutions’ performance with the previous eight years.

The remarks attracted criticism from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which called on the Chief Justice to retract them or resign. The Ghana Bar Association and other civil society voices have also raised concerns about the need for judicial officers to maintain the appearance of impartiality in their public engagements.

The Judicial Service, however, said the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith and were not intended to undermine judicial independence.

At the conference, Mr Baffoe-Bonnie acknowledged the importance of professional restraint but stressed that assuming judicial office should not mean abandoning the relationships and responsibilities that make judges human.

His remarks come as the judiciary continues to face public scrutiny over the conduct and public engagements of judicial officers.