Dr. Muiz Adeyemi Banire SAN, on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 charged lawyers to embrace other forms of dispute resolution and by extension, avoid the long and dreary road associated with litigation.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Commercial Law Development Services (CLDS) on “Understanding The Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) Under the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure} Rules 2012”, Dr Banire charged the lawyers to be in tune with their global counterparts and embrace ADR in its entirety. While delivering a paper on “Government ADR Initiative and the Constitutionality of the ADR procedure under the Lagos State High Court (Civil Procedure Rules), 2012”, he stated that “the rise and global acceptance of ADR has necessitated its inclusion in the High Court of Lagos State Rules 2012. With the inclusion, the Courts have become less burdened with matters that are suitable for ADR as opposed to full blown litigation.”
Also speaking at the Seminar was Mrs. Caroline Etuk, Director, Lagos Multi Door Courthouse. She presented two papers on “Case Filtering and Case Referral: ADR screening/qualification process at the High Court of Lagos (Civil Procedure) Rule, 2012” and “Understanding the Role of the ADR Judge in ADR proceedings at the Lagos State High Court”. She stressed on the fact that whilst all cases are not appropriate for ADR, “ADR can still be used to narrow down issues in dispute or when circumstances change” She also listed ways in which ADR Judges could use their power to bring parties to submit to ADR among which are “By providing ‘information’, By expressing an ‘opinion’, By ‘advising’ and By acting as the ‘agent of reality’”
Ms Megha Joshi, Executive Secretary / Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Court of Arbitration facilitated the last interactive session on “Jurisdiction of LCA and the symbolic relationship between LCA and National Courts” The discussions were open, engaging, and insightful with practical guide to understanding how the Lagos Court of Arbitration operates vis-a-vis other courts.
At the end of the seminar, Ms Joshi presented the certificates to participants
