Court mediators in Ellembelle appeal for payment of outstanding arrears

Mr Shaibu Issaka, Chief Mediator at the Nkroful Magistrate Court, has appealed to the Attorney-General’s Department and the Ministry of Justice to settle the backlog of monthly allowances owed court mediators.

He said the payment of allowances to court mediators had been irregular, a situation that could hamper their movement and reduce their effectiveness in the discharge of their duties.

Mr Issaka, a former Presiding Member of the Ellembelle District Assembly, made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Nkroful.

He said the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism was introduced at the Ellembelle District Magistrate Court in 2018 to enhance and speed up the delivery of justice.

Mr Issaka noted that court mediators had since handled and resolved numerous cases brought before the ADR unit.

He explained that the ADR process sometimes employed traditional methods of conflict resolution, including encouraging disputing parties to reconcile and restore peaceful relations.

According to him, most of the cases handled by the office were civil matters, including child neglect, debt settlement and marital disputes.

Despite their contributions, he said, allowances for court mediators had not been paid regularly, describing the situation as a disincentive to personnel serving in the ADR department.

Mr Issaka therefore called on the Government to pay the backlog of arrears, which had accumulated for more than a year, to enable mediators to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

The court mediators, however, pledged to continue offering their voluntary services to promote peace, social harmony and access to justice in the district.

Meanwhile, some beneficiaries of the ADR process who shared their experiences with the GNA commended the mechanism as fast, free and fair.

GNA