By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, Feb. 03, GNA – Ahead of the celebration of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week, the Judicial Service of Ghana has lined up series of engagements with the business community in Kumasi.
The initiative dubbed, “Pre-ADR Week” seeks to sensitise potential users of court processes in settling disputes to embrace ADR as an option for expeditious resolution of cases.
This year’s ADR Week celebration scheduled for March 17 – 21 is on the theme, “Building the Pillars of Justice through Commercial Justice ADR”.
The Pre-ADR Week engagements, which focuses on commercial cases this year, therefore, seeks to draw the attention of businesses to the advantages of utilising ADR for resolution of disputes ahead of the main event.
Since 2005 when ADR was introduced into the justice delivery system 38,447 cases out of 88,451cases, representing 43 per cent have successfully been resolved.
Justice Mrs. Angelina Mensah-Homiah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal with oversight responsibility for ADR, at a media briefing ahead of an engagement with Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative Farmers and Marketing Union Limited on Monday, emphasised the benefits of adjudication of cases through ADR.
She said resolving cases through means than litigation brings finality to such cases faster than going through the traditional processes in courts, which are burdened with so many cases.
Resolution of cases through ADR apart from ensuring expeditious conclusion, also saves the parties involved time and money, according to Justice Mensah-Homiah.
“Having commercial cases in court for years hurts businesses and at the end of the day it impacts negatively on economic stability”, she noted.
She added, “If people in the business community get to know that this option either than litigation is available for free by the Judicial Service, I believe they will readily embrace and take advantage of it.”
Justice Hannah Taylor, Supervising High Court Judge for Ashanti Region, said considering the tall list of cases before the courts, opting for ADR was the way to go to ease the pressure on Presiding Judges.
She reiterated that if parties adopt ADR in resolving disputes, it saved them time and money, which were vital resources being wasted on cases that could be resolved faster at virtually no cost.
GNA