Judges and magistrates will benefit from ongoing professional development thanks to a new Judicial Training Institute.

The establishment of such a programme was recommended in 2004 by a justice system review committee chaired by Puisne Judge Norma-Wade Miller. She has pioneered the scheme ever since.

Addressing almost 100 members of the legal fraternity at its inaugural workshop at the end of last week, she explained: "The raison d'etre of any judicial studies institute might be simply stated: the judiciary has the weighty responsibility of assessing evidence and passing judgments on human behaviour which have to stand scrutiny as being fair, scrupulous and knowledgeable.

"In order to fulfill this responsibility judges have to be as aware as possible of the conditions in which we live, and in particular to understand the motivations and stresses which comprise the realities of contemporary life. A Judicial Training Institute is a vehicle for ensuring that all of us are prepared for that task."

In her remarks to the workshop at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel, Attorney General Kim Wilson said she was pleased Bermuda could be added to the list of Commonwealth countries with judicial training programmes in place, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago.

"I have no doubt that as our judicial training programme develops, we will seek to embrace our regional partnerships and counterparts in other Commonwealth jurisdictions to share knowledge of best practice and technical expertise," she said.

Bermuda's newest Court of Appeal judge, Sir Robin Auld, encouraged the delegates to use their training to influence law reforms. He also reminded them of the importance of keeping in touch with the world outside the courtroom.

"This new judicial studies institute, drawing on the whole range of judicial skills and experience available to it as its role develops, could be an influential source of advice to the legislature and parliamentary draftsman as to what will work and what will not, and how best to make it work," he noted.

And he urged that in order to demonstrate the need for improvements to prison and community-based rehabilitation schemes: "Familiarise yourselves with what goes on there. Visit them from time to time. Let those who run them know you are interested. Find out first-hand what their strengths and weaknesses are and what they lack and need. In that way, when considering what sentence to impose, you will know the reality of the outcome and the public, through you, will learn."