In its bid to ensure an effective justice delivery system, the Edo State Judiciary has launched the Edo State Multi-Door Court website and the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform in the state.

The newly sworn-in Chief Judge of the state, Justice Joe Acha, who launched the platform, said that the website was designed to enhance economic development for the citizens of Edo State through ease and effective justice delivery.

Justice Acha stated that the Online Dispute Resolution platform is suited for commercial disputes which disputants can use to clearly elucidate their interests giving the neutral, more lucid and speedier path to assisting them reach resolution and simultaneously enhancing contract enforcement in Edo state.

“It is my delight to be with you today at the launching of the Edo State Multi-Door Court website and the official takeoff of its Online Dispute Resolution Platform. A few weeks ago, we embarked on a large scale training program of 100 persons in ODR.

“The training of these 100 persons was a follow up on the training of 100 persons in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)in November 2020 all under the auspices of the German Agency for International Development in the Pro-Poor Growth and Promotion of Employment in Nigeria Programme (SEDIN GIZ).

“Since the inauguration of Edo State Multi-Door Court in 2017, ESMDC has continued to grow and expand in its scope of activity as a court.

“And it is in keeping with this forward-moving trend that we are gathered here today to witness the Launch of the ESMDC website and ODR platform,” Acha said.

The Chief Judge explained that the ODR platform which is domiciled in the ESMDC website is the very first of its kind in Nigeria.

“I am very proud to say that Edo State Judiciary has once again proven to be a true pioneer and a trail blazer,” he enthused.

Acha noted that the online websites became necessary in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic adding that, SEDIN GIZ was currently conducting an outreach to sensitize Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state about the ADR services offered at ESMDC.

Also speaking, the functioning Director, Edo State Multi-Door Court( ESMDC), Mrs Osazemen Olubunmi Achebo said that the goal of the ESMDC was to serve as a vital complement to the existing litigation and justice delivery framework in the judiciary.

Achebo explained that the online dispute resolution was positioned to project and offer to the general public enhanced, timely, cost effective, and user friendly routes to justice.

“We practice the adversarial system of law in Nigeria where from the beginning of the filing process the two sides are pitched against one another.

“Over time, parties form the habit of being entrenched in their desire to win at all costs to the effect that often, many reasonable areas of compromise are ignored,” he said.

“We need to understand and accept that not all cases are suited for this level of belligerence and this is the reason Multi-door courts exist,” she explained.

She advised members of the public to take advantage of the platform.

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