The three-day seminar on International Arbitration organised by the Ghana ADR Hub has taken off in Kumasi, with the facilitators urging lawyers to avoid the mistake of applying only their legal knowledge for arbitration practice.
According to them, although arbitration mimics litigation, for which it is described as private litigation, its practice required much more than legal knowledge and experience.
Mr Michael Gyang Owusu, President of the Ghana ADR Hub believes that learning the art of arbitration is critical for lawyers to enable them to act effectively in representing parties in arbitral processes.
“Arbitration is not just like litigation where you can apply your legal knowledge.
“You need to know the Art of Arbitration,” Mr Owusu said at the opening session.
Beyond being abreast of the practice and art of arbitration, he urged legal practitioners interested in arbitration practice to specialize.
As the practice of arbitration, and Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR), in general, continued to grow in Ghana, he noted that it has become necessary for arbitration practitioners to specialize in the various fields so as to offer quality expertise for arbitral processes.
Mr Martin C. Nwosu, a founding member of the Ghana Association of Certified Mediators and Arbitrators, also urged lawyers to venture arbitration because of the benefits of offering speedy, amicable, confidential and cost effective resolution of disputes.
ADR, he said, has been very beneficial in the peaceful resolution of disputes, describing it as “complementary rather than an alternative” to court litigation.
Touching on the perception among a section of lawyers that arbitration offers low financial benefits for lawyers compared to court litigation, he said the general experience of practitioners shows the contrary.
“Arbitration offers good prospects,” he said, adding that “there are good reasons for doing arbitration.”
The three day seminar, which is focusing on international arbitration, has the objective of enhancing the capacity of practitioners to overcome challenges in international arbitration.
Dubbed, “A comprehensive course on International Arbitration,” the training, which is being held at the KCCR Conference Centre at KNUST, Kumasi, is conducting a comprehensive examination of the law and practice of international arbitration.
It is being attended by arbitration practitioners, private legal practitioners and in-house counsel interested in improving their ability to represent and advice on the subject of International Arbitration.
By Edmund Mingle/ adrdaily.com
