Justice Bartels-Kodwo urges investment in legal resources and continuous training for judges

Supreme Court nominee, Justice Janapare Adzua Bartels-Kodwo, has called for increased investment in judicial resources and continuous professional development for judges, citing the high cost of legal materials and limited access to essential references.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, 17 June, Justice Bartels-Kodwo stressed that judicial training must go beyond the initial entry point into the profession and become a sustained effort.

“You can’t train a judge at the entry point and say that is it,” she told the committee. “It must be continuous education.”

She expressed concern over the prohibitive cost of law books and the inadequacy of allowances provided for such essential materials.

“Law books are expensive,” she stated. “Not many people are entitled to book allowance — and when it does come, I am sure it will not buy too many books.”

Justice Bartels-Kodwo warned that these financial and logistical constraints can impair the efficiency and quality of judicial work, making it more difficult for judges to stay current with evolving legal standards.

She recommended a centralised approach to improving access to legal literature, both physical and digital.

“We must have a well-stocked library where judges can go and have reference,” she proposed. “Otherwise, we have to pay for these online libraries.”

She added that the Judicial Service should secure collective access to digital legal databases, removing the burden of individual subscriptions.

“Even if it can be done for maybe the service, so that everybody can access it,” she said, “those are some of the things that will equip judges to give their best.”

Her remarks underscore a broader concern about institutional support within the judiciary, and she urged Parliament to consider these issues as part of efforts to enhance the integrity and effectiveness of Ghana’s justice system.

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