Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has expressed deep concern about what he describes as the deteriorating independence of Ghana’s judiciary in recent years, calling for an internal reform “reset” to restore public confidence.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the celebrated Ghanaian journalist suggested that both major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have taken self-serving positions on the judiciary based on how they perceive its alignment with their political fortunes.
“The NPP would not have been so keen on maintaining the status quo in the judiciary if the party hadn’t found the status quo friendly or beneficial to its cause,” he wrote.
Conversely, he added that the opposition’s concerns are rooted in how it views the courts’ perceived bias.
“The NDC would not have been so concerned about the status quo if the party hadn’t found the judiciary to be hostile to its cause or in bed with its opponents.”
According to Manasseh, the judiciary’s credibility has “deteriorated in the last eight years” and now “assumed a disturbing political posture, especially at the highest level.”
He noted that such a situation undermines the rule of law and the health of Ghana’s democracy.
“That was not a judiciary that could be relied upon to deliver impartial justice and help strengthen our democracy,” he lamented.
Citing data from the Mo Ibrahim Governance Index, Manasseh Azure Awuni drew a comparison between two political eras, noting that Ghana’s judiciary “maintained a score of 100% between 2014 and 2017 (the John Mahama era) in judicial autonomy.”
However, he pointed out that “from 2018, this rating dropped to 50%, where it has remained through 2023 (in the Akufo-Addo era),” suggesting a sharp decline in the judiciary’s independence during that period.
The journalist, however, cautioned that the needed transformation should not be politically motivated but should come from within the institution itself.
“The judiciary needs a serious reset, but not a reset in the NDC or NPP way. The crucial reset needed ought to be triggered from within the judiciary, from the very top of the bench,” he stressed.
While acknowledging that “many conscientious judges” remain committed to delivering justice “without political and other colourations,” Manasseh said conditions must be created for them to thrive.
“The atmosphere must be created for the good to thrive. And that must be a charge for the incoming Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to keep.”
