Justice Kate Abiri, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa on Wednesday said that the state judiciary has fully harnessed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to decongest cases and enhance dispensation of justice.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abiri stated this while inaugurating the governing council of the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse (BMDC) at the Bayelsa Judiciary Headquarters, Yenagoa.
According to her, BMDC is the court connected to the ADR centre of the High Court of Justice in Bayelsa.
“The idea of providing disputants the mechanisms of resolving their issues in ways other than the adversarial adjudications via litigation and in a manner that is expeditious, has caught on worldwide and spreading through the judiciary nationwide.
“Today, I am pleased to declare that the BMDC is set for a full fledged operation, with the passing of its bill into law by the State House of Assembly and the eventual assent of the law in April 2022 by Executive Governor of Bayelsa, Sen. Douye Diri. The BMDC Law has been gazetted and its practice direction set to be unveiled,” Abiri said.
The nine member governing council is chaired by Justice Abiri.
Other members are Mr Briyal Dambo, SAN, Commissioner for Justice, Justice Raphael Ajuwa, ADR Judge 1, Justice Ebiegberi Omukoro, ADR Judge 3, Justice S.W. Smaduuobogha, ADR Judge 3.
Other governing council members are, Nyingi Utomvie, Mr Warmate Idikio, private sector rep, king Collins Daniel, private sector rep and Mr Ukumbiriowei Saiyou, Chairman NBA Yenagoa.
Responding shortly after the inauguration on behalf the governing council members, Dambo applauded the Chief Judge for actualising the full operation of the BMDC, which commenced in 2009..
Dambo, who described the full implementation of ADR in Bayelsa as a new vista? noted that, “It is better to jaw jaw than litigate”.
NAN reports that the governing council held its inaugural meeting soon after it was inaugurated by the Chief Judge of Bayelsa.
(NAN)