ADR for all courts by 2013

Accra, Aug 24, GNA - The Judicial Service on Monday announced the extension of the implementation of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programme to all courts by 2013.

In pursuit of this vision a new policy directive outlined in June this year, established a separate National ADR Directorate to coordinate all ADR activities within the Judicial Service.

Mr Justice Samuel Marful-Sau, an Appeal Court judge, said this at this year's ADR Week Celebration in Accra. The celebration which is on the theme: "ADR mainstreaming - The collective responsibility of all in the Judicial Service", is to sensitize and create public awareness on the "Courts connected ADR" mechanism available to the people.

The Court Connected ADR is basically aimed at ensuring that access to justice in Ghana is made easier, cheaper, non-adversarial, expeditious and flexible to all, particularly the poor and vulnerable. The ADR has been adopted and is being mainstreamed nationwide by the JS under the Judicial Reform Programme (JRP) as a civil reduction intervention to reduce the huge backlog of cases pending in the courts. Justice Marful-Sau said between January and June 2008, a total of 926 cases were referred to mediation within the Magistrate Courts in Accra. A total of 387 out of 861 arbitrated cases were successfully settled, representing 45 percent of resolution rate. He said the JS had implemented various programmes to sensitize judicial officers, staff and the general public about the need to use ADR in the resolution of disputes particularly in the District Courts.

He said the JS had also organized a number of training programmes for mediators and ADR officers to effectively act as neutrals in the resolution of disputes.

Justice Marful-Sau said the new culture of resolving disputes in the world through ADR mechanisms had emerged, and that Ghana's effort at attracting foreign investors would receive a boost if ADR was firmly and effectively incorporated into the justice delivery system in the country.

He said litigations in the courts had become unattractive to international business entities and as a nation, "we need to develop ADR mechanisms like Commercial Arbitration, Negotiation, Mediation and Conciliation to make the country attractive to international investments.