The Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Ghana, Alhaji Asoma Banda, has made an official request to the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, to recommend some retired Ghanaian judges and lawyers of reputable status to represent the country at the International Court of Arbitration.

That, he said, was in line with the requirements of the Ghana office of the ICC, which was launched some two months ago.

Alhaji Banda made the appeal when he led the National Committee of ICC-Ghana to pay a working visit to the Chief Justice.

The visit was aimed at informing her about some of the programmes ICC-Ghana was working on to help train lawyers and judges in the area of dispute resolution.

It was also to wish her well as she marked seven years in office.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Alhaji Banda explained that the motivation to set up a court of arbitration in the country came as a result of the numerous judgement debt awards being accrued by the state as a result of the lack of adequate training for state attorneys and lack of information, particularly in cases where Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) avenues could have been employed.

He added that ICC-Ghana, with support from its parent body, ICC International, would run training programmes for interested institutions and individuals.

He also informed the Chief Justice of the intention of ICC-Ghana to set up a hearing centre in Ghana, such that Ghanaian corporate bodies would be encouraged to use ICC mediation and arbitration rules and clauses in their contracts and also insist on Ghana as a genuine place for arbitration.

That, he said, would help save cost, since currently most cases were heard overseas and the state and businesses spent so much in getting their cases heard.

The Chief Justice thanked Alhaji Banda and the team for the request, saying it would be pursued to the benefit of the country.

She said the intentions came at the right time, given that it would help reduce the numerous cases currently pending at the commercial courts.