Slow Justice System and Alternative Dispute Resolution
By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
Problem: The court is not a place for dispute resolution; it is a place for judgement pronouncement. And in most cases, judgement is only pronounced in favor of the most intelligent lawyer, but only the rich can hire the best lawyers that can speak the language of judgement.
In addition to this, the slow justice system is a major problem, apart from the excessive concentration on technicalities, thereby loosing the essence of justice, the cost is also a major hindrance.
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Solution: The worst alternative dispute resolution is still a little better than the best court judgement because, ADR does not only resolve dispute, it unites the conflicting parties. ADR is also cheaper and faster.
Center for alternative dispute resolution should therefore be given greater priority in our quest for peace.
ADR centers should be established across all localities in Nigeria and empowered with adequate resources to function properly.
The court should be encouraged to mostly handle criminal matters, while ADR centers handle civil matters.
Abdulrazaq Hamzat is an Executive Director at Foundation for Peace Professionals and can be reached at [email protected]
