Central Region mediates 783 ADR cases

More than 783 cases has been mediated with 406 of them successfully settled through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the Central Region, between 2009 and 2012.

This was made known by Mr. Justice James Benuyena Benson, the Supervising High Court Judge in Cape Coast at a press briefing on Monday, to kick-start the ADR week celebration in the Metropolis.

It was on the theme “court connected ADR: the citizen’s participation in the administration of Justice.”

The ADR is being operated in three district and circuit courts in the region; Cape Coast, Agona Sweduru and Dunkwa-on-Offin.

Giving a breakdown of the figures, Justice Benson said Cape Coast mediated 162 cases with 97 settlements in 2009, whereas Dunkwa-on-Offin mediated 180 and settled 86 in that same year with Agona Swedru not settling any case.

He said in 2010 ADR, cases dropped with Cape Coast recording 97 mediated cases with 71 settlements and Dunkwa-on-Offin mediated 36 and settled 18.

Justice Benson said last year, 60 out of the 89 cases were settled in cape coast, whilst Dunkwa-on-Offin settled 12 out of 19 with Agona Swedru settling 12 of 68.

Justice Benson said cases so far from January to May this year, 132 cases were mediated and 50 cases were settled, in the region.

The ADR is a court connected system that serves to compliment the traditional court system in making access to justice cheaper, easier, expeditious, non-adversarial and faster to the citizenry; and also helps in reducing the backlog of cases in the courts.

The celebration, which is observed annually after every legal holding, is being held simultaneously in Cape Coast and Accra with two major activities including raising public awareness and the settlement of cases through ADR.

Justice Benson explained that the ADR system facilitated a faster and efficient adjudication of cases pending in the law courts.

He said that, the system is reliable and must be embraced and nurtured for an efficient justice delivery system in the country.

Explaining the procedure of the ADR, Justice Bension said that a case at any stage of proceedings could be referred to the ADR after the consent of the parties involved have been sought, or the parties themselves could communicate orally or in writing to the court asking for the case to be referred to the ADR.

He said mediators helped in settling the case amicably after which the agreement reached at the end was sent to the court for adoption as a consent judgment, thereby making the terms of the settlement enforceable by court.

Justice Benson said rape, murder, and other indictable offences were exempted from the ADR system whilst the system only applied to the circuit and district courts.

He noted that the ADR system was still new to the public, the reason for awareness creation particularly through the media for the public to appreciate the system.

Recounting ADR’s achievements, Justice Benson said that the program has been extended to 51 district and circuit courts across the country with at least three mediators assigned to each of the courts.

He said that the Chief Justice, Justice (Mrs) Georgina Theodora Wood, had plans to expand the ADR to all courts by 2015.

Justice Benson asked lawyers to encourage their clients to avail themselves of the ADR concept, and also the public to take advantage of it in order to save them time and money.**