Rivers CJ opens new ADR centres for faster justice delivery

To ensure the quick dispensation of justice and reduce the backlog of cases in courts, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has presented certificates to two newly registered private Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centres. The registered private ADR centres are Praeclarus Alternative Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration, Mediation, and Peace Building Centre, both based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Chief Judge tasked the two new ADR centres with upholding the highest standards of the practice. He stated this at the weekend while issuing the certificates at the Meeting Room of the High Court Complex, Port Harcourt. Justice Amadi, who is also the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Rivers State Multi-Door Courthouse (RSMDC), charged them to be diligent in the discharge of their duties, never to compromise the standard of ADR practice, and to observe the regulations set out in the collaboration regulation by the RSMDC.

According to the Chief Judge, the compromise of the regulation shall lead to the cancellation of the registration by the authorities of the RSMDC. He restated his determination to decongest the courts of numerous cases through ADR while calling on lawyers and litigants to make use of ADR, as it would go a long way in ensuring quick access to justice delivery. Also speaking, the Director of the Rivers State Multi-Door Courthouse, Victor Nweke, noted that both Praeclarus Alternative Dispute Resolution Services, led by former Rivers Commissioner for Education Alice Lawrence-Nemi, and Harmony Arbitration, Mediation, and Peace Building Centre, led by Professor Fidelis Allen, fulfilled all requirements to be registered as private ADR centres.

He said the registration of a private ADR centre has the advantage of co-referral of cases between the RSMDC and the registered private ADR centre, adding: “In essence, the registration permits the RSMDC to release some of its cases, including court-referred cases, to the registered private ADR centre because of the trust of the RSMDC. “The collaboration with the private ADR centre also has the advantage of reducing congestion of cases in the dockets of the courts; it improves the trust of the public to file walk-in matters in the registered ADR centres with the understanding that the outcomes of ADR processes of the centre will be registered with the RSMDC, and the RSMDC shall transmit the same to the ADR judges through the Chief Judge, who is the Chief ADR Judge of the state, for judgment, recognition/enforcement orders, or any final order of the court.”

Nweke stressed that the procedure automatically makes the outcome of a walk-in ADR matter of a registered private ADR centre acquire the status of res judicata, which also increases the enforcement of the outcome. Speaking on behalf of the two ADR centres, former Rivers Commissioner for Education and leader of Praeclarus Alternative Dispute Resolution Services, Alice Lawrence-Nemi, appreciated the significance of the moment and the role the judiciary plays in fostering effective dispute resolutions. She stressed that they remain committed to contributing positively to the legal profession and upholding the standards of excellence that the certificate represents. “We are honoured with the trust placed in us; we are grateful for the continued support of the Chief Judge in advancing ADR practices in Rivers State, and we look forward to other states in the region following the lead Rivers State is setting,” she stated.

Source: https://guardian.ng/news/rivers-cj-opens-new-adr-centres-for-faster-justice-delivery/

Date: 23Feb25