The Judicial Service of Ghana has declared March 13-17, 2023 as the ADR Week for the Legal year term, in which the courts would engage in a “Mass Mediation Exercise” to resolve cases.
A total of 132 Courts across the country, comprising 33 Circuit Courts and 99 District Courts would participate in the Week by devoting the period to the settlement of cases using ADR mechanisms, particularly mediation.
The annual event will be marked on the theme, “Improving access to justice in a post-pandemic through the use of ADR.”
A statement signed by Mr. Alex Nartey, National Director of ADR at the Judicial Service, explained that the rationale for the ADR Week, which the Chief Justice declared, is to create the platform to enhance public awareness about the availability and benefits of using ADR mechanisms at the courts.
“It is also to afford court users whose cases are pending before the courts, the benefit of using ADR during the week to settle their cases,” the statement stressed.
It noted that a press conference would be held at the Achimota Circuit Court on Monday to open the ADR Week officially, adding that Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal with oversight responsibility on the Court Connected ADR Programme, would address the conference.
The statement encouraged members of the Bar, disputants, and all stakeholders to participate in the event.
The aim of the ADR programme is to ensure that access to justice in Ghana is made easier, cheaper, non-adversarial, expeditious, and flexible to all, particularly the poor and the vulnerable.
In that regard, the Chief Justice in a policy directive on the Court -connected ADR Programme, has instituted an ADR Week in every legal year term to give parties the opportunity to settle their cases through mediation and to run programmes and activities to create awareness on the availability of ADR as a compliment to the adjudication process in the courts.
By Edmund Mingle/ adrdaily.com
