Accra, July 25, GNA- The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, has declared Monday July 25 to Friday 29 July, 2022, as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week for the Legal Year Term.
The ADR week is on the theme: “‘ADR: A tool for Peace and Stability.”
A statement issued in Accra by Madam Joyce Adjoa Nameless, for the National ADR Coordinator, said the focus of the week was to reduce the backlog of cases at the 131 participating courts.
It said the 131 courts, comprising 33 Circuit Courts and 98 District Courts, shall participate by devoting the whole week for settlement of court cases with ADR across the country.
“The Bar, disputants, the Media and the public are, therefore, encouraged to participate fully and cooperate with the Judicial Service to make this Legal Year Term’s ADR Week a success,” it said.
ADR has been adopted by the Judicial Service of Ghana as part of its adjudication process dubbed “Court-Connected ADR.”
The aim of this 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 vulnerable.
Pursuant to this, 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.
GNA