THE REGULATORY AND IMPLEMENTATION REGIME FOR MULTI-DOOR COURTHOUSE SYSTEM FOR RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

A Multi-door Courthouse is a Court-Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre which offers different forms of alternative dispute resolution processes. These centers are independently run and managed, but are attached to a specific court (in the case of Kano, Anambra, Abuja and Lagos-the High Court of each respective State). The essence and place of ADR mechanisms in the national and international commercial and business relationships are obvious. Under the MDCH system, the court premises are enhanced to accommodate not only the traditional (mono-door) dispute resolution avenue of litigation, but also other dispute resolution avenues (or multi-doors’). In jurisdictions with established MDCH, cases filed in court are screened during the intake stage in order to determine the appropriate ‘door’ to be used. This paper found out that due to the enormous advantages of this process, it is now an attractive option for the resolution of disputes in Nigeria. The aim of this paper is to examine the legal and institutional frameworks for the practice and procedure of Multi-Door Court Houses or Court Connected ADRs in Nigeria. The methodology adopted in this research is doctrinal. It relied on both primary and secondary data. This paper concluded that the introduction of Multi-door Courthouses in Nigeria has revolutionized alternative dispute resolution processes by integrating them into the regular Court system.