Busua (W/R), Nov 7, GNA - The Judicial Service on has organised a one-day sensitisation workshop on the country's commercial court system for high court judges and members of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) from the Western and Central regions at Busua near Takoradi. Addressing the workshop, Mrs Justice Cecilia Sowah, a judge at the Commercial Court in Accra, expressed concern at the non-cooperation of some legal practitioners in the court's procedures.

She said Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is mandatory in the Commercial Court and every suit filed at the court has to undergo the Pre trial Settlement Conference where various mechanisms of ADR are adopted for the amicable settlement of the dispute. Mrs Justice Sowah said some legal practitioners still see the ADR concept as alien and for that matter, do not fully co-operate at the pre trial settlement conference sessions.

She said, "Section 72 (1) of the Courts Act makes ADR mandatory and places responsibility not only on the bench but also officers of the court".

Mrs Justice Sowah said lawyers who practice in the court needed to be cooperative in terms of the court's case management policy by observing and adhering to set time tables and planned events like making witnesses and parties available.

She said a total of 665 cases were filed at the commercial court from March 4, 2005 to July 31st, 2006.