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Magnus Eze, Enugu
Enugu State Multi-Door Courthouse (ESMDC) has introduced online dispute resolution programme as part of effort to check the spread of COVID-19 and ensure access to justice to disputants and litigants whose matters can be expeditiously resolved by virtual means.
The alternative virtual platform for the mediation process would be deployed during the second edition of the settlement week of the ESMDC holding later this month.
Director, ESMDC, Mrs. Caroline Etuk, said the innovation was in keeping with global response to COVID-19 pandemic in the dispute resolution industry.
She explained that any online mediation would start with a pre-session meeting where the case manager would prepare the parties for the zoom mediation conference and would entail completion of the confidentiality and mediation agreement forms. The ground rules would also be spelt out at this point.
Etuk said during the mediation proper, there would be private meeting after the parties had stated their cases and that it is in the private meeting rooms that there would be exploration and bargaining.
“At the conclusion of the mediation, the parties will once again participate in a joint session in the main room. If the parties have reached an agreement, terms of settlement will either be forwarded to parties for their endorsement or signed online. Thereafter, signed terms of settlement will be forwarded to the referral judge for referred matters or the ADR Judge for walk-in matters to be adopted as judgements of court,” she said.
Etuk said participation in online dispute resolution was an excellent opportunity for lawyers and disputants to get conversant with the changes in the justice sector.
