ACCRA, Nov. 18 — Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama late Monday swore in Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the new chief justice of Ghana, replacing Gertrude Torkornoo, who was dismissed in September on the recommendation of a committee that found her guilty of “stated misbehavior.” Mahama urged the new chief justice to strengthen integrity within the judiciary through firm but fair disciplinary standards for judges and staff while ensuring transparency and predictable procedures for case assignment and management, among others. Baffoe-Bonnie became acting chief justice in April after the suspension of Torkornoo, who was being investigated for alleged misbehavior. In September, Mahama nominated him as substantive chief justice, and he was approved by parliament on Nov. 13. Born in 1956, the new chief justice first became a circuit court judge in 1993 and rose through the ranks to become an appeals court judge in 2006 and a supreme court judge in 2008.
Xinhua
