CJ Kafarati inaugurates FHC’s Alternative Dispute Resolution centre

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

Outgoing Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati has inaugurated FHC’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre at Osun crescent Maitama district of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at the inauguration, Justice Kafarati said that the decision to establish an ADR was taken by him to reduce the number of cases going to the regular court.

He said that already the court are over crowded with large number of pending cases including those that can be easily resolved through ADR.

Justice Kafarati has also unveiled a new Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019. He said the new rules would enhance speedy and efficient administration of justice.

“When I became the Chief Judge of the the Federal High Court, I made up my mind that I will do all I can to leave a lasting legacy in the history of this great court.

“I constituted a committee made up of judges and some staff of the court to review the Federal High Court civil procedure rules 2009.

“The new Civil Procedure Rules 2019 has now been gazetted, and ready for unveiling. The new rules has introduced a lot of innovations to enhance speedy dispensation of justice”, the outgoing CJ said.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama who spoke at the inauguration of the ADR centre advised the incoming Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, to develop and sustain the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre of the court.

He noted that ADR had become a potent tool of decongesting the courts, due to the frustration occasioned by endless litigation.

“Alternative Dispute Resolution has come to stay, because of the enormous delays in our court system. ADR and mediation is the way to go.

“And I believe the incoming Chief Judge of the Federal High Court will continue to develop and enhance the ADR centre that has been commissioned today (Friday).

“We are aware that any moment from now, the outgoing Chief Judge of the FHC will be taking a bow, and that presupposes that somebody will be coming. We believe that it is going to be an effortless, seamless and straightforward process,” Gadzama noted.

It would be recalled that the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), had last month nominated Justice John Tsoho, the next most senior judge of the Federal High Court, to the National Judicial Council (NJC), to succeed Justice Kafarati who will be retiring this month from the bench.

The SAN lauded Justice Kafarati for his innovative leadership of the court, saying, “the outgoing CJ has written his name in gold.”