Her Ladyship Angelina Mensah-Homiah, Supervising High Court Judge and Judge in Charge of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), has hinted of plans to establish Court Connected ADRs in Senior High Schools to ensure timely resolution of disputes in the school community.
In the last few years, there have been a surge of violence across many Senior High Schools. From incidents of students going on rampage to express displeasure, to display of weapons and armed attacks, to recent tribal conflict, and clashes between students and town folks have raised serious safety concerns on various campuses.
Answering questions from Senior High School students on settling of disputes on campuses at the launch of the 2024-2025 third term ADR Week celebration in Koforidua, Her Ladyship Angelina Mensah-Homiah, Supervising High Court Judge noted that proposal to expand Alternative Dispute Resolution to campuses is at preparatory stages.
“For Educational Institutions, bringing the ADR to your doorstep is still in the preparatory stages. We need to figure out how to go about it and then see to the implementation with the permission of the acting Chief Justice.” She hinted.
Her Ladyship Angelina Mensah-Homiah, assured; “we’ll work on it. Yes, you are learning ADR. It is part of social studies. But when it comes to practicing it, it’s a different thing altogether, right? You must know the skills. You must know how to guide parties to move towards from disagreements to come to a common ground. And so give us some time to sort ourselves out. And then you’ll definitely hear from us.”
The Weeklong celebration aimed at deepening public awareness and promoting the use of ADR as a key part of Ghana’s justice delivery system, particularly for civil and family-related disputes.
Speaking at the launch, the Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie underscored the critical role ADR plays in enhancing access to justice, especially for the poor and vulnerable who may not afford prolonged litigation.
“Justice lies at the heart of every society. While the traditional court system has served Ghana well, it is often costly and time-consuming. Court-Connected ADR provides efficient tools; mediation, arbitration, negotiation, and conciliation; that help resolve disputes in a more humane and constructive manner,” Justice Baffoe-Bonnie stated.
He noted that ADR promotes dialogue in a non-adversarial setting and encourages parties to arrive at mutually beneficial outcomes. The approach, he said, not only helps preserve relationships but also offers faster, less expensive alternatives to courtroom litigation.
The Acting Chief Justice further disclosed that 138 courts across Ghana are currently linked to the National ADR Program, with 19 of them located in the Eastern Region
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
