The Honourable Judge with a heart of gold, a gavel and a pen: a real life titanium hero. 

About Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam:

Her Honour Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam stands out as a stalwart of Ghana’s judiciary and an inspiring voice in legal scholarship and personal resilience. She is a judge serving her country from the bench at Circuit Court 7 in Accra. With over a decade on the bench, she has deliberately carved a space for herself and earned acclaim not just with her well-reasoned decisions in adjudicating cases, but also through her published legal reflections on criminal justice, public engagements, and an extraordinary journey marked by both triumph and adversity. She is not just a judge, but a wife, mother, an advocate, a reformist, a natural mentor and a scholar at heart. There is so much to celebrate about her beyond the few reflections in this special feature.

Why We Are Featuring Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam:

Anybody who has had the opportunity to observe Judge Kwadam would agree that she represents a new wave of judicial officers in Ghana who are reimagining what it means to serve justice in the 21^st century. Her judicial philosophy is grounded in fairness, restraint, and legal literacy. Those who appear before her describe her as rigorous yet compassionate, a judge who listens intently, asks the hard questions, and always lets the law lead. Not only does she bring outstanding legal insight to her adjudicatory role, more fascinatingly, her influence and excellence extend well beyond her courtroom. 

She is a prolific writer and contributor to legal commentary in Ghana, authoring thought-provoking articles that challenge and enrich criminal justice discourse. It is rare and refreshing to see a judge boldly question the continuing relevance and justice of existing laws and not just applying them. Her Honour has written on critical issues like the likelihood of judicial bias in contempt cases, the risks of prosecutorial overreach, and the ethical pitfalls of contempt powers, topics that many in the legal fraternity tend to avoid. In one of her most stimulating works, “Accuser, Judge and Executioner: How Ghana’s Superior Courts Breach ‘Nemo Judex In Causa Sua’ in Contempt Adjudications; A Wakeup Call For Comprehensive Procedural Rules To Guide Contempt Proceedings,” she critically examines the structural tensions in the exercise of contempt powers by Ghana’s higher courts. The article is bold, analytical, and true to her style, rooted in constitutional principle. 

As a justice reformist, Judge Kwadam has also written pieces that provoke criminal justice reform: she has called for a review of the outdated rape law in Ghana and has urged for a much-needed move towards the mandatory recorded confession statements during investigations as a way of mitigating the numerous challenges against the validity of these statements during trial. Prosecutors and defence counsels will agree that this would bring a significant relief to the incessant demands for the conduct of mini trials. 

In an unsurprising display of excellence, Judge Kwadam recently made history at GIMPA Law School by graduating from the LL.M. in International Criminal Law and Justice programme with a grade point average of 3.98 on a 4.00 scale, the highest ever recorded. She was the valedictorian for the GIMPA Masters Class of 2025, the first ever valedictorian from the LL.M. programme. She was also the best graduate student for the GIMPA Law School, and the recipient of two special awards: the Dean’s Excellence Award as the top student in the LL.M. Programme and the Fatou Bensouda Prize for the best student in International Criminal Law and Justice. To place the last award in context, Fatou Bensouda, a Gambian national, is a former International Criminal Court Prosecutor. Judge Kwadam achieved all this while serving full time on the bench. She attended to her court duties in the day, driving herself from one end of Accra near the Aburi Mountain to her courtroom in Accra near the sea, and attended evening lectures on the Green Hill campus of GIMPA, all the while attending to the domestic needs of her husband, children and household. These achievements speak volumes for what is possible for women in legal education and the legal profession in Ghana. 

Judge Kwadam’s achievements do not end there. Beyond chambers and articles, she’s an active presence in legal dialogues and mentorship in Ghana’s legal education space. She has taught criminal justice as a guest lecturer, participated in moot court competitions as a judge, spoken to freshly called lawyers on the practice and Procedure in the lower courts through a series of webinars, and contributed her voice to inspire upcoming lawyers. To demonstrate her commitment to enhancing competence in legal education, especially in this new age, Her Honour has also advocated for reform in her paper titled “Rethinking Legal Education in Ghana: from Rote Memorization to Open-Statute Exams for a New Era of Legal Competence and Mastery.”

Why Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam Stands Out:

The most compelling thing about Judge Kwadam is her story of overcoming physical adversity while advocating for better court conditions for her colleague judges in Cape Coast. Following a debilitating workplace accident in November 2019 in the course of delivering justice, Judge Kwadam was left with a permanent impairment. Yet, rather than retreat, she transformed this personal challenge into a powerful platform to speak on trauma and resilience. Even after undergoing multiple medical procedures and being fitted with titanium implants, she lives with mobility issues, but none of this has stopped her growth. Her reflections on this journey, shared candidly on LinkedIn, have resonated widely, reminding many of the strength found in vulnerability.  

She also uses her platform to advocate for others who may not have a voice in this big world. She shares insights on personal growth without realizing the number of lives she is positively impacting. In a moving post marking her 10-year judicial anniversary, she acknowledged the weight of both service and sacrifice, showing us that with purpose and determination, we can work towards achieving our goals.

Her Honour does not restrict herself to the confines of domestic law and practice. She has shared her views on international criminal justice and has discussed the complex and evolving bond between African states and the International Criminal Court. She explores themes like immunity for heads of state, accountability under the Rome Statute, sovereignty and global justice. Her interest in international criminal justice speaks volumes about her intellectual range and concern for global legal accountability. 

A Force to be Reckoned With; A Force that Compels the Fighters Within Us

Judge Kwadam speaks for us all in her quest for justice reform, advocates for better work conditions for her colleague judges, inspires future lawyers as part of her life’s goals and keeps aiming and achieving new heights in her remarkable journey of resilience. She never misses an opportunity to teach, shape and lead. She continues to write, mentor, adjudicate, and inspire. Through her words and her work, she reminds us that the law is not just about codes and judgments; it’s also about courage, compassion, and continuously unfolding your potential. 

Ghana’s criminal justice does not need just reform; it also needs people like her who stand for justice without fear. 

Learn More:

You can follow Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam on LinkedIn where she shares insights on legal education, criminal justice and international criminal law, as well as motivation, and access to her scholarly articles. Her profile can be accessed here.