Arbitration is considered a preserve of lawyers, but arbitration experts say the practice is not limited to only lawyers.
Although being a lawyer offers an advantage, practitioners do not have to be necessarily lawyers, says Martin C. Nwosu, a senior lawyer and ADR practitioner.
In an interview with ADR Daily on the art of arbitration, Mr Nwosu, explained that although the ability to interact with the judicial system remains key in arbitration, it does not prevent non-lawyers from practicing arbitration.
“What normally happens is that non lawyers who want to practice arbitration have to go through some legal education to acquaint themselves with ways of assessing evidence, cross examination and other techniques that are part of the arbitration process.
“It is said that arbitration is litigation in private, which means that all the tools we use in litigation are also employed in arbitration even though in a modified and more flexible manner,” he said.
Mr. Nwosu, who is a founding member of the Ghana Association of Certified Mediators and Arbitrators (CHACMA), encouraged non lawyers who desire to practice arbitration to seek the requisite training to effectively build their skills in that regard.
By Edmund Mingle/adrdaily.com
