Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The Institute of Mediators and Conciliators says the multi-door courthouse will be effective in Rivers State during the new legal year.
The multi-door courthouse is a concept where one courthouse offers multiple disputes resolution programs by referring cases to the appropriate door for easy and faster resolutions.
The Chairman of the Institute of Mediators and Conciliators in Rivers State, Dumo Barango, during a 4-day Mediation and Certification Training in Port Harcourt said Governor Nyesom Wike has already signed the bill into law.
Dumo Barango said the implementation of the multi-door courthouse will reduce the number of litigations at the courts in the state.
”Presenting what we have in Rivers State is what we called mono-door courthouse. Everybody that comes to the court today is filing cases and litigations straight ahead to the court. But in multi-door courthouse that you have other courts now on the same premises, if you file a particular matter, they will check the case to know if the matter should go to litigation or to arbitration or to mediation or to conciliation or negotiation or any other processes of ADR. At that point, we can reduce the number of cases at the court proper for judges to adjudicate. That’s what multi-door court is all about”.
”We are looking at the new legal year opening. I am sure the Chief Judge is working towards that in the shortest possible time. Of course, the Governor has signed the bill into law” he said.
Dumo Barango also said the aim of the 4-day training and certification exercise is to equip the participants with the latest trend in mediation and arbitration.
He said that the training will arm participants on how to resolve issues without necessarily going to court.
Barango added that the judges will have less work to do when multi-door court commence in Rivers State.
