Ghana’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) sector cannot afford to remain a fallback option. Kwesi Austin, Chairman of the Governing Board of Ghana’s ADR Centre, warned on Monday that the country must treat ADR as a primary choice for resolving suitable disputes, not just a last resort.
Speaking at the launch of the 29th cohort of the Professional Executive Master in Appropriate Dispute Resolution (PEM.ADR) programme at the Gamey Apex Leadership Centre in Tema, Austin said the country’s future depends on building stronger professional capacity to manage conflicts fairly and efficiently. “The question is no longer whether disputes will occur, but whether we have the competence and institutional capacity to resolve them fairly, efficiently and sustainably,” he said.
Alternative Dispute Resolution includes mediation, arbitration, and customary arbitration, offering alternatives to the often slow and costly court system. But Austin said the effectiveness of ADR depends on public trust in the impartiality and professionalism of its practitioners.
He outlined the need for practitioners to be equipped with not just theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills, sound judgment, and a dedication to ongoing professional development. “The future of ADR depends on competent practitioners, ethical conduct, impartiality, confidentiality and public confidence,” he said.
Austin’s comments come amid growing demands on dispute-resolution mechanisms in Ghana. As the country’s economy and civil society become more complex, the strain on courts grows. ADR could reduce that burden if it gains public acceptance and institutional strength.
Austin Gamey, CEO of the Gamey and Gamey Group, echoed these concerns. He warned that expanding ADR’s reach must go hand in hand with strict licensing and accreditation standards. “You can be a lawyer, you can be a professor, you can be a so-called ADR consultant, you can be whosoever. If you are not properly capacitated, you will not be registered to practice the trade,” he said.
Gamey emphasised that licensing is not a formality but a safeguard of quality and integrity. “You must possess certain qualities, and when we are talking about integrity, it is not a joke,” he said. He also stressed the importance of language skills in ADR, advising practitioners to use “language gently, be very honest and open, be very specific to the issues.”
The PEM.ADR programme aims to address these gaps by training professionals in the practicalities of dispute resolution. The 29th cohort began this week at the Gamey Apex Leadership Centre in Community 26, Tema. It targets lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and other professionals who want formal qualifications and practical training in ADR.
Austin said training institutions must prepare practitioners for the demands of the field, including ethical dilemmas and the need for confidentiality. “Training institutions must therefore equip practitioners not only with theoretical knowledge but also with practical skills, sound judgement and a commitment to continuous professional development,” he said.
The push to strengthen ADR comes as Ghana’s courts face increasing caseloads and delays. ADR has been promoted as a way to ease these pressures and provide faster resolutions. But without professional standards and licensing, there is a risk of inconsistent practices and loss of public confidence.
Austin and Gamey’s remarks underline the urgency of developing a professional framework for ADR in Ghana. The challenge now is to implement licensing systems, ethical codes, and training programmes that ensure ADR practitioners can handle disputes impartially and competently.
This week’s opening of the PEM.ADR course signals a step toward that goal. The programme’s focus on practical skills and ethical conduct aims to prepare a new generation of professionals to meet Ghana’s rising conflict-resolution needs.
The future of ADR in Ghana will depend on how quickly these standards are adopted and enforced, and whether the public begins to see ADR not as a fallback but as a trusted option for resolving disputes.
According to 3News.
