The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, has called for the use of alternative dispute resolution, especially for settling of commercial and family disputes.
Justice Onnoghen made the call on Thursday while addressing an audience at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He lamented that the nation’s courts were overworked, and the use of arbitrators would help speed up the justice delivery process.
The CJN, therefore, asked arbitrators to step up their game.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of the judiciary to protecting the interest of investors and all persons who approach the courts for adjudication.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the President of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, James Bridgeman, also shared their thoughts on the role of arbitration.
Lawyers and arbitrators across the country converged on Abuja for this year’s conference which has the theme; Arbitration and ADR in Africa: Challenges, Gains and Lessons for the Future.
The two-day conference is aimed at examining the challenges of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in Africa and pick out lessons for the future.
