…as Chief Judge underscores importance of alternative dispute resolution to court decongestion.
The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC), in collaboration with the Sustainable and lnclusive Economic Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria Programme (GIZ-SEDIN), has organised a workshop, themed: “Enhancing Civil Justice Administration through ADR: Focus on the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse”.
The workshop was organised to promote the synergy between the LMDC and the Lagos State Judiciary, improve the use of ADR by the LMDC and the Court, address challenges in case administration, increase access to justice through ADR and deliberate on the issues confronting ADR processes and case administration with the aim of proffering solutions on the way forward.
Speaking at the event held recently at The Zone, Gbagada, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Olarenwaju Alogba emphasised the importance of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) in enhancing access to Justice and reducing delays in the Judicial system.
Justice Alogba encouraged Judges to actively promote ADR mechanisms while commending their valuable contributions to the delivery of justice in Lagos State.
Hon. Justice Jumoke O. Pedro, Chairman of LMDC Governing Council, made a presentation on “ADR Provisions in the High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules (HCLCPR) 2019 and its application”.
She discussed the effectiveness of ADR methods in addressing court docket decongestion and emphasised that the court has an overriding objective to actively manage cases, including mandating parties to use ADR where appropriate and requiring claimants and their legal practitioners to cooperate with the court by attempting amicable resolutions.
In her presentation titled: “Uncooperative Parties and Implications in Mediation Matters”, the Vice Chairman of the LMDC Governing Council, Hon. Justice K. A. Jose described uncooperative parties as parties and counsel who exhibit disinterest in mediation proceedings, thereby refusing to participate in the mediation process.
She explained that when parties do not consent to mediation, it hinders the objective of achieving easier and timely access to justice.
A Member of the LMDC Governing Council, Hon. Justice L. A. M. Folami, in a paper tagged: “Endorsement of the LMDC Terms of Settlement as a Consent Judgement in the Court: Procedure and Practices”, Hon. Justice L.A.M. Folami stated that the LMDC Terms of Settlement become binding and enforceable upon execution by parties and adoption of Terms as Consent Judgment in Court.
In discussing the “Significance of the Multi-Door Courthouse System”, Mrs. Achere Cole, the Ag. Director of the LMDC, noted that the impact of the Agency cuts across the use of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) for remote access to justice, qualitative settlement of disputes that include a broad range of case types and the noteworthy recovery of claims totalling N49,255,139,501.85 from 2017 to 2023.
Mrs. Busola Ojo, the LMDC Registrar, whose paper focused on case referral to the LMDC, described the process of case referral to the Agency and the required synergy between the LMDC and the Court particularly about referral of suitable cases for the upcoming Lagos Settlement Week programme scheduled to hold from July 15 – 19, 2024.
The workshop also showcased the achievements of the LMDC including its commitment to improving access to justice, decongesting court dockets, and enhancing stakeholder engagement. The Judges’ comments and contributions would assist the LMDC in refining its ADR processes and services to suit the needs of disputants and the Court.
Other dignitaries present at the workshop are the Admin Judges of Lagos State, Hon. Justice O. A. lpaye and Hon. Justice A.M. Nicole-Clay, over 50 Judges of the High Court of Lagos State, representatives of GlZ-Sedin and members of Staff of the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse.