ADR Coordinator calls for expansion of ADR system as three regions record low patronage

In some areas in the Bono, Bono-East, and Ahafo Regions, even with relatively high populations, they were without a court-connected ADR system.

Is allowance instantly strangers applauded

The Bono, Bono-East, and Ahafo Regions Coordinator of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Mr. Paul Frimpong is calling for an expansion and access to the Court–connected ADR system.

He cited Sampa and Drobo, both areas in the Jaman South and Jaman North Municipalities of the Bono Region, as well as Atebubu-Amanten and Kintampo in the Bono-East Region as areas without a court-connected ADR system even though they had relatively high populations.

Residents in these areas, therefore, have to travel to other areas to have access to the service.

He blamed the access problem as the reason behind the low patronage of the service in the area. 

Speaking at the regional celebrations of the ongoing 2022 ADR week, Mr. Frimpong mentioned that despite the challenges, the court-connected ADR system has proven to be cost-efficient especially in addressing land disputes.

“We did research about land cases and we realised that at least the minimum years of such cases in the main court is five years, but some of those cases when brought to the ADR, take a month or at most three months to be solved,” he said.

Between August 2020 and December 2021, a total of 185 cases were mediated under ADR in courts in the Bono Region.

Of the 185, 130 were settled, 40 were referred to courts, while 15 remain pending.

Background

ADR has been adopted by the Judicial Service as part of its adjudication process dubbed “Court-connected ADR”. 

The aim of the programme is to ensure that access to justice in Ghana is made easier, cheaper, non-adversarial, expeditious, and flexible to all.

Pursuant to this, the Chief Justice in a policy directive 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.