The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has inaugurated a new Governing Board of the national Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre with a charge to strengthen the regulation, professionalisation and widespread use of ADR as an integral component of justice delivery in Ghana.
The reconstituted Board, chaired by Mr Kwesi Austin, an astute legal practitioner, is expected to provide strategic leadership to the newly established Centre as it assumes its statutory responsibility of regulating and promoting the ADR industry under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 798).
Inaugurating the Board in Accra today, Dr Srem-Sai urged the members to focus particular attention on taking ADR to the grassroots, where many disputes could be resolved expeditiously without resorting to prolonged litigation.
He encouraged the Board to actively engage traditional authorities and other community leaders to strengthen the use of customary arbitration and mediation in resolving disputes at the local level.
According to him, a stronger integration of traditional dispute resolution mechanisms into the formal ADR framework could help reduce the number of disputes that travel to the courts while making justice more accessible to people at the grassroots.
“By doing so, you can restructure traditional customary arbitration to play a more active role in justice delivery,” he said.
He said the Government recognised the important role of ADR in improving access to justice and assured the Board of the necessary financial and logistical support to enable the Centre to commence its operations effectively.
At the same time, Dr Justice Srem-Sai urged the Board to pursue sustainable funding mechanisms to support the Centre’s operations in accordance with the provisions of the ADR Act.
The members of the Board subsequently took the Oath of Office and the Oath of Secrecy, formally assuming responsibility for providing governance and strategic direction to the Centre.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board, Mr Austin, expressed appreciation to the President and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for the confidence reposed in the members.
He acknowledged the enormity of the task before the Board but assured that members were committed to delivering tangible results that would strengthen ADR practice and contribute to justice delivery in Ghana.
“We recognise the enormity of the task ahead of us, but we remain committed to delivering results that would be beneficial to Ghana,” he said.
Mr Austin said the Board would pursue extensive collaboration with stakeholders across the justice sector and the wider ADR industry, stressing that the success of the Centre would depend on the active participation and support of practitioners, professional bodies, traditional authorities, the Judiciary, the legal profession and other relevant institutions.
He said the Board was committed to establishing the ADR Fund, as provided for under Act 798, and developing sustainable sources of funding to support the Centre’s programmes and regulatory activities.
However, he noted that the Centre would require initial financial and logistical assistance from the Government to establish the institutional infrastructure necessary for effective operations.
“Our vision is to build a Centre that can adequately promote ADR services and practice and support justice delivery in Ghana,” he said.
The new Governing Board brings together representatives from key institutions and stakeholder groups within the justice, professional and economic sectors.
The members are Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, representing the Judicial Service; Mr Jose Nicco-Annan, representing the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS); Mr Kenneth Koomson, representing Organised Labour; Mr James Asiedu Kainyiah, representing the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr Austin Akufo Gamey, representing the ADR industry; Mrs Efua Ghartey, representing the Ghana Bar Association; Dr Zakaria Sulemana, representing the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana; Ms Edinam Ama Abusah, the Government’s female representative; and Dr Francis Kofi Korankye-Sakyi, Acting Executive Secretary of the ADR Centre.
The composition of the Board brings together expertise from the Judiciary, legal profession, business community, organised labour, surveying profession, accounting profession, ADR practitioners and Government, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of ADR practice.
The inauguration marks an important step towards the full operationalisation of the ADR Centre and the implementation of measures to establish professional standards, regulate practitioners and institutions, and expand access to quality ADR services across the country.
The Centre is expected to work closely with the Judiciary, traditional authorities, professional associations, private ADR institutions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen mediation, arbitration, negotiation and customary dispute resolution as effective pathways to justice.
