Cape Coast, Nov. 21, - More
than 18,000 cases have been successfully
settled through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process since it was
introduced into the court system in 2007, Ms Sophia Akuffo, the Chief Justice
has disclosed.
This, She indicated had
substantially helped in reducing the backlog of cases in the courts and
appealed to all to embrace the concept of ADR for an efficient justice delivery
system.
The Chief Justice who was
speaking at a press conference to launch this year's ADR week celebration in
Cape Coast said the encouraging results clearly indicated that the ADR
mechanism was a reliable partner to the traditional justice delivery system.
The ADR week was set aside to
create mass public awareness and to educate stakeholders and the general public
on the use of ADR.
It offered them the opportunity
to educate the media and public on the role of ADR, functions and appointment
of mediators.
Between January to June 2017, She
said a total of 1,195 cases were mediated out of which 612 cases were settled,
representing 51 per cent settlement rate.
MS Akuffo said the ADR programme
had been extended to 87 courts across the country with at least five mediators
assigned to the courts while a total of 490 had been trained and assigned to
the 87 courts connected to the ADR Programmes.
She said with the realisation
that land related cases had become dominant in the courts, the Judicial Service
in collaboration with Land Administration Project had trained 30 surveyors to
be used as mediators on pilot bases to reduce the backlog of land cases in the
land courts in the Greater Accra Region.
In addition to that she urged the
Lands Commission to set up their own ADR office with staff in collaboration
with the Judicial Service to ease the adjudication of land cases across the
country with strict monitoring.
Ms Akuffo, however appealed to
the media to take keen interest in enlightened public on the convenience and
benefits associated with ADR concept.
Mr Alex Nartey, National ADR
Coordinator, encouraged lawyers to advise their clients to use the ADR to
resolve their disputes.
GNA
No comments:
Post a Comment