The Acting Chief Justice of Ghana, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has encouraged Ghanaians to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a viable and effective means of seeking justice in both civil and judicial matters.
Describing ADR as a “win-win” approach that benefits all parties involved, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie urged citizens to take advantage of it whenever possible.
Speaking at the launch of National ADR Week in Koforidua on Monday, July 21, under the theme “Building the Pillars of Justice Delivery Through ADR”, the Acting Chief Justice emphasized the importance of using ADR to reduce pressure on the courts and promote faster, amicable resolutions.
“The courtroom should not be the place where resolution of disputes begins. The courtroom should be a place where disputes end after ADR methods have been tried… Let us commit to [a] justice system where fairness, dialogue, and resolution triumph,” he stated.
He also encouraged the public to utilize the 138 ADR-connected courts established across the country as part of efforts to decentralize and improve access to justice.
Supporting this call, the Director of the Legal Aid Commission, Fidelis Osei Duah, highlighted the effectiveness of ADR in resolving civil disputes. He revealed that the Eastern Region had seen remarkable success through its ADR system.
“In the Eastern Region, the Legal Aid Commission received a total of 1,706 civil cases for the year 2024, and through the dedicated work of our ADR mediators, 1,613 cases were successfully resolved,” he stated.
“This translates to a success rate of approximately 94.5%, a clear demonstration of dialogue and compromise in our justice system.”
The high success rate underscores the growing relevance of ADR as a dependable complement to the formal justice system.
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