Twenty four people have been selected for training in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as part of Barbados judicial system, signalling a next step in making the process a reality in Barbados.
The training, to be conducted by two Jamaicans from their Dispute Resolution Fondation, starts Monday following the shortlisting of prospective mediators from a list of 60 applicants who applied.
Chief Justice of Barbados Sir Marston Gibson who sees ADR as one of the ways of freeing up the back log of cases in the court system made this announcement today at a press briefing which was also attended by Justice Sandra Mason chairperson of the ADR committee.
Mason also worked in St Lucia in the area of ADR.
The chief justice said ADR was not a panacea but was critical to making an impact on the backlog of cases which plagued the Court system.
“ADR is important because it allows people to solve their cases themselves, rather than leave it with a judge.”
He said the ADR was a pilot project and at the end there would be a statistical examination of how many cases came through the system, were resolved by ADR and how many cases went back into litigation.
“It is only by knowing what the success rate is whether you know how to tweek it, and we will be doing quite a bit of tweeking while it runs.” (JS)
