The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre and the Judicial Service of Ghana have agreed to deepen collaboration aimed at improving access to justice and enhancing the efficiency of dispute resolution in the country.

The two institutions reached the agreement during a high-level engagement in Accra on Thursday, where they committed to strengthening cooperation in regulation, capacity building, and the delivery of quality ADR services. The partnership is expected to make dispute resolution faster, more accessible, and more effective for citizens.

The Executive Secretary of the ADR Centre, Dr Francis Kofi Korankye-Sakyi, paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Judicial Service as part of efforts to formalise collaboration between the two bodies.

Representing the Chief Justice, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, a Justice of the Supreme Court, welcomed the establishment of the ADR Centre and the partnership, describing it as a timely intervention to consolidate gains under the Court-Connected ADR (CCADR) Programme. He noted that the initiative has, over the past two decades, helped reduce case backlogs and promoted quicker and amicable settlement of disputes. He assured the Centre of the Judiciary’s readiness to collaborate in advancing ADR practice.

Dr Korankye-Sakyi, who was accompanied by labour and ADR expert Mr Austin Akufo Gamey, said the Centre is focused on fully operationalising its mandate to regulate and elevate standards within the ADR space. He commended the Judicial Service for sustaining the CCADR programme and stressed the need to scale up ADR integration within the justice system. He also highlighted plans for a national practice manual and a Legislative Instrument to support the regulation of the sector.

He further called for the introduction of mandatory ADR requirements for civil cases, citing examples from countries such as Canada, The Gambia and South Africa, where parties must first attempt ADR before resorting to litigation.

He explained that the Centre will operate on three core pillars—Resolve, Reconcile and Rebuild—to ensure sustainable dispute resolution outcomes.

Judge-in-Charge of the CCADR Programme, Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, described the establishment of the ADR Centre as timely, noting the rapid growth of ADR practice in Ghana. She emphasised the need for coordination and standardisation within the sector and expressed confidence in the Centre’s ability to ensure consistency and professionalism.

She also indicated that approval has been granted for the recruitment of additional professional mediators under the CCADR programme, adding that the Secretariat would rely on the Centre’s database of accredited practitioners. She further urged the development of a national database of ADR professionals to improve public access to qualified mediators and arbitrators.

Justice Mensah-Homiah highlighted provisions under the High Court (Civil Procedure) (Amendment) Rules, 2020 (C.I. 133), which allow judges to mediate cases with the consent of parties, and called for enhanced training for judges in this regard. She also commended the ADR Centre for cautioning against unregulated dispute resolution programmes on radio and television.

Mr Austin Gamey underscored the importance of lawyer participation in ADR processes and called for greater education to address concerns that ADR may undermine legal practice. He stressed that ADR complements, rather than replaces, litigation.

The Deputy Director of the Judicial Training Institute, Mr Jacob Soung, called for sustained capacity building for judges and magistrates through collaboration between the Institute and the ADR Centre.

The President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana, Justice Olivia Obeng Owusu, also expressed support for ADR expansion, noting that many judges are increasingly adopting it as a first step in adjudication.