The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, has advised Judicial Officers to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), mechanisms to decongest courts as well as to ease the burden of judges.

Justice Dipeolu disclosed this during the opening of the first Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), for Judicial Officers in Nigeria with the theme "The Critical Role of the Justice Sector in the Promotion of Alternatives to Litigation", held at the Ceremonial Court of the Judiciary Complex, Abeokuta.

The Chief Judge pointed out that the ADR processes and mechanisms such as arbitration, mediation, and conciliation among others are cheaper, quicker, flexible, confidential, preserve the relationship of disputants, and reduce the workload of judges.

She stated that the ADR mechanisms strengthen Judicial modernization, unclog the courts, increase access to justice, and support economic development by cutting costs of resolving disputes, adding that it also permits claimants to present claims they could not litigate in court thereby improving access to justice.

Contributing, the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa stated that at the end of the conference, parties could be encouraged to refer their cases to Multi-Door Courthouses and other ADR Institutions to explore settlement of their disputes in appropriate circumstances.

In his address, the President, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, Dr. Agada Elachi, enjoined Judicial Officers to support and promote access to justice through their involvement in the promotion of the ethos and practice of ADR principles.

Dr. Elachi said there was an urgent need to put in place policies, measures as well as structures that would result in more efficient use of judicial time with resources, adding that the deployment of alternatives to litigation by the resort to ADR mechanism would ensure greater access to justice and avail disputants options from which they could address their concerns.