For the current Legal Year Term, Monday, November 13, to Friday, November 17, 2023, has been officially designated as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week by Chief Justice Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo.
The objective behind ADR Week is to provide an opportunity for the ADR Directorate of the Judicial Service to engage the public, informing citizens about the presence of ADR within the court system, its significance in seeking justice, and how to leverage this vital process for meaningful access to justice, particularly for the less privileged.
The theme for this year’s ADR Week is “Building the Pillars of Justice through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).”
In a statement dated November 10, 2023, the Director of ADR, Alex Nartey, highlighted that the week-long celebration will also offer court users with pending cases the chance to utilize ADR through a “Mass Mediation Exercise.”
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“A total of One Hundred and Thirty-Five (135) Courts, comprising Thirty-Five (35) Circuit Courts and One Hundred (100) District Courts, will participate by dedicating the entire week to settling court cases through ADR across the country,” he noted.
The Judicial Service of Ghana has embraced ADR as part of its adjudication process, known as “Court-Connected ADR.” This program aims to make access to justice in Ghana more accessible, cost-effective, non-adversarial, prompt, and flexible, particularly for the economically disadvantaged and vulnerable.
The statement encouraged the legal community, disputants, the media, and the public to actively participate and collaborate with the Judicial Service to ensure the success of this Legal Year Term’s ADR Week.