LRC supports workshop for Legal Aid Commission's Staff on ADR

Officials of Legal Resource Centre (LRC) have through funding support from USAID sponsored a 4-day training workshop on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanism and Administrative Procedures for new staff of the Legal Aid Commission (LAC).

The training falls within the scope of LRC's current project which is the "USAID Justice Sector Support Activity"; a 2-year project which started in August 2022, implemented in partnership with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa office in collaboration with Crime Check Foundation (CCF) and Inter-Regional Bridge Group (IBG) with funding support from the USAID.

The workshop was held in Kumasi on Monday 27th June 2022 scheduled to end on Thursday 30th June 2022.

The theme for the program is "Making Justice Accessible to the Poor and Vulnerable in Ghana" aimed at equipping participants with skills and knowledge to serve as Mediators and Administrators in the various legal aid offices to which they have been posted.

Other objectives are to equip participants with needed skills to practice as professional mediators, prepare participants to serve as effective Community Mediators, and equip participants with needed skills to practice as professional personnel in the Commission.

During day one of the workshop, facilitator Mr. Awuah Emmanuel Kwadwo (I.T Officer- LAC) through a presentation offered them a tutelage on the mandate of the Legal Aid Commission (LAC), LAC's Client Service Charter covering its mandate, mission, core values, services, functions, governance structures, commitment to beneficiaries, what they staff should expect from clients, service standards, feedback mechanisms.

He also schooled them on the LAC Electronic Case Management System (ECMS), IT policies and corporate emails, and an overview of Ghana Case Tracking System (CTS).

Ms. Eliza Nantogmah presentation covered standard operation procedures of LAC among others.

Addressing the media, Rita Nupe Demuyakor- Legal and Project Officer for LRC underlined that the motivation for holding the workshop is to ensure access to justice for the less privileged in society.

Premised on the foregoing, she explained that they therefore saw the need to support the workshop so as to ensure that new staff are well trained to grant free legal aid services to clients.

Speaking on behalf of the Executive Director for LRC Ms. Daphne Lariba Nabila at the program, Rita Nupe Demuyakor said LRC believes "that access to justice will not only be enhanced by the availability of staff but the availability of very well equipped and knowledgeable staff who will be able to attend to the numerous clients who need and deserve legal aid."

She added that they believe the training will not only help participants to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within the Commission but will also be a significant step toward quality service delivery to numerous clients.

Executive Director of LAC Mr. Martin T. Amoyaw noted in an interview that the ADR if effectively implemented will succeed in reducing the number of court cases.