Do not pay for Alternative Dispute Resolution services — CJ

The Chief Justice, Getrude Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, has advised Ghanaians not to pay for mediation charges at any Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) deliberations in the country.

Chief Justice Torkornoo said this during a public forum after commissioning her first court complex as Chief Justice at Baatsonaa in the Tema West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

The public forum was on the theme improving justice delivery through Community engagement and aimed at educating the citizens on how the justice system works.

Lady Justice Torkornoo explained that Mediators at the various ADR outlets in the country were paid by the government hence there was no need for aggrieved parties to pay for their services after mediation.

She noted that ADR was established to fast-track cases that could be resolved just by building some consensus and not necessarily going through a court process, which could take much longer to deal with.

Lady Justice Torkornoo said that cases dealt with at ADR usually remained confidential as they were between the parties involved only, as opposed to the court system, where they are opened to the public.

According to the Chief Justice, ADR cases do not go for appeal, adding that once there is a consensus, the parties would be made to sign an undertaking to guide the fulfillment of their part of the commitment.

She clarified that ADRs were the best and fastest way to solve many civil cases among aggrieved parties without necessarily initiating a court process, which could take a very long time.

The participants were given the opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions directly to the Chief Justice