Supreme Court Justice nominee, Janapare Bartels-Kodwo, has advocated for mandatory training for journalists covering court proceedings to ensure accurate reporting.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, Justice Bartels-Kodwo reiterated the need to sensitize court reporters about their rights and responsibilities.

She acknowledged instances where media personnel have misinterpreted court rulings and proceedings, potentially misleading the public.

“However, I do not think that we need to go all out right away with the big stick, knocking everybody. Maybe, we first of all have to engage the media, their freedoms have to go with their responsibilities, they have to know that we have to sensitise them.

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To address this, she proposed that the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) take the lead in educating journalists on proper court reporting protocols.

“People have to learn how to report. We have judicial media persons, but sometimes they do not report exactly, but I think it is a learning process and sensitisation,” she said.

The training, she believes, would aim to enhance reporters’ understanding of legal processes while upholding media freedoms.

“And when we’ve done all that at the end of the day, I believe we can have some legislation for journalists,” the Justice added.

The nominee’s comments highlight growing concerns about media accuracy in judicial coverage as Ghana’s legal system continues to evolve.