Next week is ADR Week  

Accra-Ghana, Nov. 12, GNA – Chief Justice Anin Yeboah has declared Monday November 14 to Friday November 18, 2022, as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week for this Legal Year Term.
It is on the theme: “Improving Access to Justice in a Post-Pandemic through the use of ADR”.
The ADR Week is to afford the ADR Directorate of the Judicial Service the opportunity to engage the public to inform the citizenry of the establishment of ADR within the court system, its importance in seeking justice and how to take advantage of it.
A statement issued in Accra by Mr Alex Nartey, the National ADR Coordinator, said it was also to afford court users, whose cases were pending before the courts, the benefit of using ADR during the week under what “we call Mass Mediation Exercise”.
It said 131 Courts, comprising 33 Circuit Courts and 98 District Courts would participate by devoting the whole week for settlement of court cases with ADR across the country.
The statement said there would be a Press Conference at the High Court in Sunyani, on Monday November 19, 2022, to mark the official opening of the ADR Week.
It said Her Ladyship Angelina Mensah-Homiah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, with oversight responsibility would address the media.
“The Bar, disputants, the Media and the public are, therefore, encouraged to participate fully and cooperate with the Judicial Service to make this Legal,” it added.
ADR has been adopted by the Judicial Service as part of its adjudication process dubbed “Court- Connected ADR”.
It is to ensure that access to justice in Ghana is made easier, cheaper, non-adversarial, expeditious and flexible to all, particularly the poor and the vulnerable.
Pursuant to this, the Chief Justice in a policy directive on the Court Connected ADR Programme, 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 complement to the adjudication process in the courts.