Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah has designated Monday, April 12, through Friday, April 16, 2021, as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week for the upcoming legal year.
According to a release from the Judicial Service, the ADR Week’s emphasis was on reducing “the backlog of litigation at the 131 participating courts.”
The week is under the theme: “Making our courts user friendly through the use of ADR”.
“The one hundred and thirty-one (131), which includes thirty-three (33) Circuit Courts and ninety-eight (98) District Courts, will engage by dedicating the whole week to resolving court proceedings by alternative dispute resolution around the country,” the statement said.
It stated that a press conference will be held at Ada District Court in the Greater Accra Region to commemorate the week’s official launch.
The declaration encouraged the Bar, disputants, the media, and the general public to engage entirely and work with the Judicial Service to ensure the progress of “this legal year.”
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The Judicial Service of Ghana has incorporated ADR into its adjudication mechanism, called “Court connected ADR.”
The ADR program’s objective is to make access to justice in Ghana faster, more affordable, non-adversarial, expeditious, and flexible for everyone, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
As a result of this, the Chief Justice established an ADR Week in each legal year term in a policy directive on the Court-connected ADR Program to provide parties with the opportunity to resolve their cases by mediation and to conduct programs and events to raise knowledge about the provision of ADR as a complement to the adjudication mechanism in the courts.
For more updates, the public is advised to contact the ADR Directorate at the Law Court Complex, High Street, Accra on phone 0242004573 or by email at ccadr.gov.gh@gmail.com.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE