Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) has strengthened the Katsina State justice sector reforms with a two-day capacity-building training on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for senior government officials of the state’s Ministry of Justice.
Declaring the training open on Monday, the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Fadila Muhammad Dikko, described ADR as an effective mechanism for resolving disputes outside the conventional court process.
She explained the alternative dispute resolution has emerged as a viable alternative to litigation, offering faster, less expensive and more amicable means of settling disputes without litigation.
She noted that legal officers handling court matters must recognise that litigation is no longer the only option, stressing that ADR has been incorporated into several legal frameworks in Nigeria.
The attorney-general said: “We thank CDD for convening this important training and we really appreciate your kind gesture to help the Ministry of Justice to gain this experience because whether we like it or not ADR has come to stay.
“It has come to stay because we have seen so many advantages of alternative dispute resolution. Before, there was this impression that litigation is the only way. But now we have all come to understand and appreciate that ADR is an important tool in justice administration.”
She urged legal practitioners, particularly those handling cases in court, to embrace alternative dispute resolution as a complementary dispute resolution mechanism to tackle court backlogs and ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
Dikko disclosed that the Katsina State Government had enacted an Alternative Dispute Resolution Law, making the state one of the pioneers in institutionalising ADR within its justice system.
She added that the law had already attracted attention from other states, revealing that Zamfara State drew inspiration from the Katsina model in developing its own ADR framework.
The attorney-general, who excused herself from another official engagement to attend the two-day training, commended the CDD for organising it and described it as timely and crucial to enhancing the capacity of justice sector stakeholders.
Earlier, CDD’s Regional Programme Manager, John Dash Lazing, said CDD organised the training to deepen the government officials’ understanding of ADR mechanisms and their role in strengthening the administration of justice.
He said the training forms part of CDD ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional capacity and encourage the adoption of alternative mechanisms that improve access to justice and foster peaceful resolution of disputes in the state.
He highlighted the growing relevance of ADR in promoting peace and resolving conflicts, adding that discussions on dispute resolution increasingly feature in national engagements on security and peacebuilding.
He encouraged participants to utilize the opportunity provided by the training to deepen their understanding of ADR and apply its principles in promoting accessible, timely and efficient justice delivery across the state.
