Efforts to ease the burden on Ghana’s courts and promote faster justice delivery have taken centre stage with the launch of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week in Sunyani.
The week-long programme, running from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, 2026, is aimed at encouraging the use of mediation and other non-litigation approaches to resolve disputes within the judicial system.
Launching the event, Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie highlighted the importance of embracing innovative approaches that make justice delivery quicker, more accessible and less confrontational. He noted that ADR allows disputing parties to settle their differences through mediation rather than prolonged court battles.
The Chief Justice explained that the ADR Week serves as a platform for the ADR Directorate of the Judicial Service to educate the public about the availability and benefits of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms within the courts.
According to him, the Court-Connected ADR programme adopted by the Judicial Service offers a practical way of settling disputes faster and at a lower cost while reducing hostility between parties.
Also speaking at the event, the Supervising High Court Judge for the Bono and Ahafo Regions, Joyce Boahen, said ADR plays a key role in improving the administration of justice.
She noted that resolving disputes through mediation helps reduce the number of cases pending before the courts while allowing parties to maintain cordial relationships.
Judge Boahen disclosed that 59 cases from four High Courts in the Bono and Ahafo Regions had already been identified as suitable for settlement through ADR or other out-of-court processes.
She therefore encouraged judges, magistrates and legal practitioners to actively promote the use of ADR mechanisms to help streamline justice delivery and reduce litigation costs.
The ADR Week is expected to bring together courts, mediators, lawyers and members of the public to deepen awareness and increase the adoption of alternative dispute resolution across the country.
