He made the call at the launch of the ADR Week Programme for the First Term of the 2025/2026 Legal Year, held in Ho in the Volta Region, on the theme “Adoption of Innovation and Technology to Enhance Access to Justice Delivery through Alternative Dispute Resolution.”
CCADR: A Powerful Tool for Reducing Delays
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie referenced concerns raised during his parliamentary vetting about delays in the adjudication process, noting that the frustrations often expressed by the public largely stem from frequent adjournments in the courts.
“When people say they are losing confidence in the Judiciary, it is because of adjournments,” he observed. “While the formal court system has served Ghana well since colonial times, litigation by its nature can be slow, adversarial and expensive. CCADR presents a credible and efficient complement.”
He emphasized that over the past two decades, CCADR has significantly eased the burden on the courts by reducing caseloads and accelerating justice delivery. Many cases resolved through ADR, he noted, do not return to court for further disputes or appeals—evidence of the system’s integrity and effectiveness.
Technology Integration a Priority
The Chief Justice reaffirmed the Judicial Service’s commitment to strengthening CCADR through technology.
“With careful planning and collaboration, we aim to build a system that is robust, inclusive, secure and responsive to the needs of the Ghanaian public,” he said.
Calls for Support from the Bar
A Justice of the Court of Appeal and Judge in Charge of ADR, Her Ladyship Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, echoed the call for broader adoption of CCADR and appealed to lawyers to play a more active role.
“If lawyers don’t encourage parties to settle disputes through ADR, it becomes very difficult to secure public buy-in. We need the support of the Bar to make ADR work. ADR is the way to go—choose it over litigation any day,” she stressed.
Volta Regional Minister, Mr. James Gunu
Stakeholders Highlight Security, Technology, and Efficiency
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr. James Gunu, commended the Judicial Service’s digitalization efforts but stressed the need for strong cyber security measures.
“Justice must not only be accessible; it must be safe, trustworthy and protected,” he noted.
Mr. Moses Ayine Asampoa gives brief remarks
President of the Volta and Oti Regional Bar Association, Mr. Moses Ayine Asampoa, also urged the Judiciary to adopt technology that removes well-known barriers such as delays, long distances to court, high transportation costs and procedural complexities.
“With video-assisted mediation, distance becomes irrelevant. With digital filing and electronic scheduling, delays are drastically reduced,” he said.
Legal Aid Commission Shares Impactful Statistics
The Volta Regional Director of the Legal Aid Commission, Lawyer Godwin Kporble, highlighted recent statistics to demonstrate ADR’s growing success.
“In 2024, we handled 422 ADR cases and disposed of 195. Up to the third quarter of 2025, we received 283 cases and disposed of 141. Nationwide, as of the third quarter of 2025, we had 5,651 cases and resolved 2,987,” he revealed.
Godwin Kporble (Esq.) Volta Regional Director of the Legal Aid Commission
He added that technology remains essential to improving efficiency.
“We started with typewriters and are now in the era of AI. To meet public expectations, especially the demand for speedy and fair resolution of cases, we must embrace technology fully.”
Engagement and Sensitization
The latter part of the launch was dedicated to sensitizing participants—including judges, lawyers, chiefs, security officers, students from selected senior high schools, and members of the public—on the benefits of CCADR. Attendees were also given the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarifications.
The Chief Justice in a group photograph with some Justices of the Superior Courts and Lower Bench