Exploring adr in Criminal Process: A Panacea to Effective Administration of Justice in Nigeria By

Abstract

Zainab O. Lawal

The judiciary can play an important role in practically executing the arbitration process and in encouraging litigants to adopt the process of arbitration in a speedy and cost�?�effective manner. The legal profession has to accept business and market needs, equip themselves with the knowledge and skills of mediation, and develop professional capacity in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as this is a major requirement for modern�?�day clients. The Nigeria criminal justice system is characterized with unnecessary adjournments and delays as a result of the flood of litigation overflowing its dockets as the demand for adjudication exceeds the capacity of the Courts to deliver justice in a timely manner. The prisons are congested and in highly deplorable conditions. However, this paper will examine the application of ADR mechanisms in solving these problems of the administration of criminal justice system in Nigeria. It posits that ADR should be mainstreamed into Nigeria’s criminal justice system on a more holistic and systematic basis rather than the piece-meal approach that the criminal justice system is currently witnessing.

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