Garissa residents have been urged to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms for cases that are not criminal in nature to help area courts clear case backlogs.
Some of the ADR mechanisms include reconciliation, mediation, arbitration, and traditional and religious methods such as Maslah for the Islamic community.
Speaking during a public engagement forum with key stakeholders and members of the public, Garissa Chief Magistrate Thomas Mwangi said that in most cases, ADR provides for a win-win outcome since the parties agree with the resolutions, unlike in court decisions. "The constitution has provided for other ways to resolve disputes without going through court proceedings, which include ADR.
We bring in elders, arbitrators, or other parties who volunteer to mediate disputes to help in settling the cases out of court," Mwangi said. "However, we cannot recommend cases such as those involving FGM, Sexual offenses, robbery with violence, and other criminal cases to be resolved using alternative justice systems.
