We want to have mediators in every court - Director of ADR

Former President of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) and Director of ADR Alex Nartey has revealed that plans are underway to ensure that every court in Ghana will have mediators.

He said that currently, 135 of our courts have at least five mediators.

The plan, he said, is to ensure that in the next five years, every court in Ghana will have mediators as part of the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism.

He disclosed this in an interview on Rainbow Radio 87.FM.

He told the host of Frontline, Kwabena Agyapong, that these mediators help people who prefer ADR.

The Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has officially declared today, Monday, November 13, to Friday, November 17, 2023, as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week for the current Legal Year Term.

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.

The initiative also forms part of the efforts to educate the public on how significant ADR is in seeking justice and how to leverage this vital process for meaningful access to justice.

Mr. Nartey said that when a judge recommends ADR, it does not mean your case is not an important one.

The move he stressed is to save time and money and have the issue addressed without delay.

The theme for this year’s ADR Week is “Building the Pillars of Justice through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).”

He disclosed that a total of one hundred and thirty-five (135) courts, comprising thirty-five (35) circuit courts and one hundred (100) district courts, will participate in the week-long exercise.

He further noted that the Judicial Service has adopted ADR as part of its adjudication procedure, dubbed “Court-Connected ADR.”

This programme aims to improve access to justice in Ghana by making it more accessible, cost-effective, non-adversarial, timely, and flexible, especially for the economically disadvantaged and vulnerable, he said.