Establish Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers across Ghana — Gyedu Frimpong petitions Mahama

Gyedu Frimpong, a private Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioner and member of the Ghana National Association of ADR Practitioners (GNAAP) has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to establish ADR centers across Ghana.

Mr. Frimpong, who is also a security intelligence officer with Doyen Spi Investigation Services and a member of the Independent Security Council (ISC-GH), stated that Section 117 of Act 798—the law governing dispute resolution practice in Ghana—mandates the President to set up a National Governing Board of ADR.

According to him, the board was formed by the previous government led by Nana Akufo-Addo.

The ADR Governing Board, as outlined in the law, comprises a chairperson who must be a lawyer with at least 12 years of experience in good standing, an executive secretary, and representatives from the Judiciary, the Ghana Bar Association, the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, and other relevant bodies.

“Now that the Governing Board is formed, I humbly admonish the first gentleman of the land to ensure that the other requirements outlined in Act 798 are implemented to promote the practice of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Ghana,” Mr. Frimpong said.

He explained that strengthening the ADR practice in Ghana will give the poor better access to justice and reduce the burden on the courts.

“It will reduce the cost of accessing justice for the vulnerable and allow disputants to have absolute control over how their cases must be resolved,” he emphasized.

Beyond improving access to justice, Mr. Frimpong argued that establishing ADR centers would create employment for qualified Ghanaians and significantly enhance the justice delivery system in the country.

According to him, after the Governing Board of the National ADR Center is formed, the Act requires the President, in consultation with the Board Chair, to appoint an executive secretary and set up National, Regional, and Municipal/District ADR centers across the country.

Mr. Frimpong reiterated that these centers would bring justice closer to the vulnerable and provide an alternative to litigation through mediation.

“It will offer Ghanaians who cannot afford the services of a lawyer an alternative means of resolving their disputes, clear the backlog of cases in the courts, and give disputants control over their cases by negotiating and agreeing on settlements that can be adopted as judgments,” he stressed.