Cape Coast, March 18, GNA- Mr Abdulai Yakubu, the Central Regional Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Coordinator, says 10 more courts in the Region will be connected to the ADR by the end of this year.
Currently, 24 out of the 34 Courts in the Region are ADR connected.
The ADR is designed to limit the challenges disputants go through in accessing Courts Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution (CCADR) services at their various districts.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said that parties found commuting from their respective districts to other CCADR courts as challenging and uncomfortable.
“But to help release that stress, we stationed some mediators at all districts so even though somebody’s district court may not be under the programme their cases are referred and settled at their same area.”
The coordinator described ADR as a win-win situation, which was relatively timely, with no stress of going through lengthy court proceedings, and the easiest way of getting justice served.
Under ADR, he said, parties were made to select a mediator of their choice, agree on judgement terms, adding that in unsuccessful cases, the evidence disclosed at the settlements was not used against parties in court.
The ADR programme, he indicated, started in 2007 but was officially piloted in 2010 after it was approved to be highly effective and that its celebration each year was to extend sensitisation to litigants to opt for a more friendly and faster way of settling disputes.
He said with over 630 mediators nationwide, the CCADR had solved some selected civil and criminal cases, but felony cases, cases of public interest and cases that demanded an interpretation of the Constitution could only be settled at the court.
On the selection of Mediators, he said it was usually done through advertisement and mostly counsellors and Educationists interested were trained as mediators.
He urged all court users to opt for CCADR as it allowed them to agree on the terms and judgment to be signed and later sent back to court as a consented judgement.
“If you find the courtroom intimidating, opt for ADR, if you find its processes strict and lengthy, ADR should be your choice, enjoy a simple, fast, comfortable and confidential case settling with ADR,” he recommended.
This year’s ADR week launched at the Ho High Court in the Volta Region is being celebrated under the theme: “Making Court Users Friendly Through ADR.”
GNA