Ghana Urged to Lead Africa’s ADR Transformation

  

At the 12th Annual Conference of the Ghana National Association of ADR Practitioners (GNAAP), Her Ladyship Justice Dorinda Smith Arthur delivered a stirring keynote address under the theme “Resolving Conflicts in a Changing World: The Option of Alternative Dispute Resolution.” Her address was not just a speech, it was a call to action.

With the global ADR market projected to soar to $29.98 billion by 2032, Justice Smith Arthur emphasized the urgency for Ghana to solidify its role at the forefront of a justice revolution. Citing global crises, court delays, and a shift in conflict dynamics, she declared, “There are conflicts everywhere, and we must rethink how we resolve them.”

She described the era we live in as “The Great Acceleration,” where rapid technological change is redefining everything, including justice. Virtual mediation, once novel, is now the norm with 92% settlement success rates and 98% user satisfaction. She shared that ADR isn’t just a faster or cheaper alternative to court — it’s more humane, more flexible, and more aligned with Ghana’s cultural values.

What sets Ghana apart, according to the Justice, is the country’s integration of traditional wisdom with modern innovation. Ghana’s ADR Act (Act 798) doesn’t merely copy global trends; it embeds customary arbitration into national law. “We didn’t just innovate, we institutionalized,” she said, spotlighting Ghana’s leadership in African-centered justice.

She referenced Rwanda’s successful use of Gacaca courts after genocide and Kenya’s commercial ADR growth, arguing that Africa is not just catching up, it's setting the pace. “When a farmer in Northern Ghana settles a dispute via mobile phone without going to Accra, that’s not convenience, that’s a justice transformation,” she said to loud applause.

Justice Smith Arthur called for bold action: building virtual-ready community ADR centers by 2026, creating local platforms tailored to African values, expanding public education, and ultimately, positioning Ghana as the continental hub for ADR by 2035. Technology, she asserted, must be our tool, not our master.

She ended with a compelling vision of the future: a high-stakes cross-border dispute resolved in Accra with the help of AI, blockchain, and traditional elders, a process grounded in “Mpatapo” (the Adinkra symbol of reconciliation).

“The ADR revolution is happening with or without us,” she warned. “The question is not whether we will participate, it's whether we will lead.”

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