Lagos Judiciary Trains Journalists On ADR

To maintain its lead in the
country’s Judicial system, the Lagos State multi-door-court house, an umbrella body under the Lagos State Ministry of Justice recently rolled out a one-day training programme which afforded journalists the opportunity to create awareness on Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR).
Taking their turns at a one day training titled Alternative Dispute Resolution awareness programme for Maritime journalists, organised by the Lagos multi-door-court house in collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council at the Lagos State High Court multi-door-house chamber last Thursday offered a variety of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes.
The mission of the LMDC, according to the organiser, is to supplement litigation as the available resource for justice by the provision of enhanced, timely, cost effective and user friendly accesses to justice.
The LMDC law was promulgated in 2007 to create  legal framework for the operations of the LMDC and to create the proper environment for the fulfillment of its overriding objectives.
The role of the court is spelt out in Section 16 of the law. This provision specifies amongst others that it shall be the responsibility of the judge of the High Court of Justice Lagos State to control and manage effectively proceedings in court and issue orders in dispute resolution, including, the mandatory referral of parties to explore settlement at the LMDC whenever one of the parties to an action in court is willing to do so. While Section 18 of the LMDC law disputing parties have a responsibility to the LMDC and to the ADR process and are to cooperate with officers of the LMDC in the administration of their dispute. They are to consider seriously the adoption of ADR procedures for resolving their claims or issues when encouraged to do so by the court, their council or the LMDC.
The settlement week, according to the organizer, is designed to impact the justice system of Lagos State through a reduction of the case load of the courts, encourage the early settlement of cases pending in the Lagos High Court, provide satisfying solutions, timely and cost effective justice to litigants, demonstrate the viability  of alternative dispute resolution for justice reform, and serve as a model for other states of the federation.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Director, Lagos multi-door-court house, Mrs. Adeyinka Aroyewun said Lagos State is at the forefront of this ADR and has already begun playing participatory and supportive roles in the transition.
According to her, ADR is not alien to the Nigerian society in the three major tribes in Nigeria, it was at the heart of the traditional channels of dispute resolution, visible in its sensitivity, promptness and access. “With the advent of colonialism came the introduction and application of English laws and the common law adversarial system in Nigeria,” she said.
She further explained that “as a consequence, the dispute resolution arena became dominated by “Zealous Advocacy” which favours litigation while the traditional channels of justice were relegated to the background, but now revive due to the problem of delay, inappropriateness and cost associated with litigations.
“Giving an insight into ADR track for statistic, she said the Lagos State multi-door court house screened over 5,000 cases within this period under reviewed, over 1,600 cases were found suitable for ADR while over 550 cases is ongoing mediation and over 120 matters settled in mediation. Between late 2012 to-date, 30 cases which either had long litigation history or the potential for such have been resolved through the banking track settlement week.”

Acting IGP Suleiman Abba (right), welcoming British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Andrew Pocock to his office, during the High Commissioner’s visit in Abuja, recently.