UPSA law lecturer and member of the NPP Legal Directorate, Ishaq Ibrahim, has defended Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s recent comments about lawyers’ membership in professional associations, saying they do not compromise judicial neutrality or prejudice cases before the courts.
Making an appearance on Metro TV’s Inside Pages on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Ishaq Ibrahim admitted he initially had concerns because his comments conflict with his position as Chief Justice responsible for empaneling Supreme Court justices. But he quickly clarified the constitution empowers the CJ to assume such an administrative role.
“In this particular instance, I don’t see any problem with it because the case law has already established that. That function is an administrative function. And if the constitution requires the CJ to make it,” he explained.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie had told members of the Ghana Law Society that when he presides over cases, he sees lawyers standing before him and not their associations.
Some critics argued the comment could prejudice a case currently before the Supreme Court concerning whether membership in the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is mandatory.
But Ishaq Ibrahim rejected this interpretation, saying the focus should remain on protecting judicial independence.
“I believe that the removal of the CJ and the way it’s conducted had the capacity to jeopardise the independence of the judiciary,” he said, adding that Article 146 of the Constitution was crafted to guarantee separation of powers.
He also warned that the creation of rival legal associations risks worsening political polarisation within the profession and undermining confidence in the judiciary.
“If the lawyers in the country are sharply divided, as this is an NDC association and this is NPP association, are you improving the system or you are dismantling the system? I believe that it can undermine our democracy,” he cautioned.
