The Ghana Alternative Dispute Resolution Hub – a not for profit legal services provider, based in the Ashanti Regional Capital Kumasi – has begun advocacy for more professionals to be trained to handle cases referred for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
ADR is fast gaining traction across the world as a preferred option for several clients and a potent measure to decongest the courts of the huge backlog of cases pending before them.
Unlike the strict open court system, an arbitration setting will rather hold in camera sessions with disputed parties with their legal representation and a private judge under their own terms till finality grounded in law, is brokered.
The system employs a wide array of avenues including customary arbitration, mediation, reconciliation and arbitration suited for any kind of dispute parties resolve to bring before an Arbitrary Dispute Resolution hearing.
The Ghana ADR Hub on Thursday begun training lawyers, stakeholders and registrars of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and other persons fitted to oversee high end commercial cases referred for arbitration.
The theoretical and practical sessions covered a wide scope of topics under ADR including Concepts of arbitration; Cases that pass for arbitration; Conditions that trigger the arbitration process; The Cost of arbitration and the effect of a ruling under arbitration;
Speaking to Ultimate News on the sidelines of the training, President of the Ghana ADR Hub, Michael Gyan Owusu expressed worry that Ghana has not shown enough commitment to training the needed human resources for the budding parallel legal window even though the country’s judicial service stands to benefit from the system.
He told Ultimate News’ Ivan Heathcote – Fumador, “The challenges in relation to ADR has been the lack of expertise in the area. Especially with arbitration, you will have to put in a lot of effort because it is a very technical area. If you haven’t taken the time to learn and understand the technical concepts, you will not be able to either sit as an arbitrator or represent a client in arbitration”
“We have paid a lot of lip service to arbitration and we have not been very serious as a country in developing the technical knowhow or building capacity of people to undertake or provide ADR services and this is what the Ghana ADR Hub is now trying to do.”
Michael Gyan Owusu outlined that the Ghana ADR Hub has put together a well structured service package with seasoned arbitrators and arbitration hearing rooms fitted for commercial entities, institutions and individuals seeking advice and resolution in cases suited for arbitration.
“We are here to do the training so we have a large number of people who have world class expertise in providing dispute resolution services and we are not limited to arbitration alone. At the end of the month, we have a contract with KNUST to train all their registrars in mediation and we also have contracts with other service providers as well.”
Michael Gyan Owusu further made a call on the judiciary to spearhead the creation of a “clear judicial policy” that creates an enabling environment that actively supports and favours arbitration.
By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM/Ivan Heathcote-Fumador
The post Ghana Hub decries limited human resources in Alternative Dispute Resolution appeared first on Ultimate FM.
The Ghana Alternative Dispute Resolution Hub – a not for profit legal services provider, based in the Ashanti Regional Capital Kumasi – has begun advocacy for more professionals to be trained to handle cases referred for Alternative Dispute Resolution. ADR is fast gaining traction across the world as a preferred option for several clients and […]
The post Ghana Hub decries limited human resources in Alternative Dispute Resolution appeared first on Ultimate FM.
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