Supreme Court judge nominee, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo, has urged young lawyers not to quit courtroom practice due to the perceived ‘rude’ or ‘harsh’ behaviour of some female judges.
During her vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Justice Bartels-Kodwo described such conduct as unfortunate, stressing that no lawyer should feel compelled to abandon their legal career because of disrespectful treatment on the bench.
Her comments came in response to a concern raised by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who noted growing complaints among young lawyers about being unfairly treated by some female judges.
“It is unfortunate that someone would want to give up an entire legal career because of this. It’s equally unfortunate for any judge—female or otherwise—to harshly berate a lawyer, whether junior or senior,” she said.
Justice Bartels-Kodwo emphasized that she does not support such behaviour, adding, “I have never conducted myself that way on the bench, and I do not encourage it. If I come across any lawyer who says they’ve quit because of such treatment, I would urge them to return to practice and not be discouraged.”
Asked for her views on the presidential term limit, during her vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, June 17, she said, “It is crystal clear, the president cannot hold office for more than two terms, period.”
