The Judicial Service of Ghana has clarified that Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s recent visit to the Black Stars camp in Canada was a personal initiative undertaken during his official vacation and financed entirely from his own resources.
In a statement issued on Friday, June 19, 2026, the Judicial Service said the Chief Justice travelled to Canada in his private capacity and not as part of any official government assignment.
According to the statement, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, described as a patriotic Ghanaian and passionate sports enthusiast, took the opportunity during his stay in Canada to visit the Black Stars and encourage the team as they compete in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“The visit was motivated solely by a desire to support the national team,” the statement noted, urging the public to view the gesture in that context.
The clarification follows public discussion sparked by photographs showing the Chief Justice among a delegation that visited the Black Stars at their hotel in Toronto on Tuesday, June 16, ahead of Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama.
The delegation included Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, and Nana Otuo Siriboe II, who represented Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The Chief Justice’s presence drew mixed reactions on social media, with some questioning whether it was appropriate for a sitting Chief Justice to be part of a high-profile delegation, while others viewed the visit as a harmless display of national support.
Addressing the concerns, the Judicial Service stressed that judicial independence does not prevent judges from participating in ordinary aspects of national life.
It explained that judges remain citizens of Ghana and members of the communities they serve, adding that the Constitution requires them to uphold independence of thought, impartiality and fidelity to the law in the performance of their duties.
The Service maintained that the Chief Justice’s visit to the Black Stars camp did not compromise those principles and was simply an expression of support for Ghana’s national team on the global stage.
