Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program – Barbados Administration of Justice Program

In an effort to expand access to justice in Barbados, the government awarded a one year contract aimed promoting mediation to ADR Center. The main objectives of the were to:

Customize a court-annexed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) program for the justice sector of Barbados, and
Establish mediation as a sustainable alternative to resolving civil and commercial cases that are appropriate for mediation
This project, implemented solely by ADR Center, involved intensive ADR promotion activities designed to build ADR capacity and demand through training and enhanced case referral by judges.

ADR Center worked with the Judiciary and the Judicial Council of Barbados to design, coordinate, and implement the project activities, which included various trainings on mediation (addressing basic, advanced, mediation advocacy, family mediation, peer mediation, community mediation, court-annexed ADR).

To ensure sustainability of ADR in the community, ADR Center implemented “train the trainer” courses that allowed local lawyers and business people to be trained as mediators and judges to use these mediators to refer cases for mediation. ADR Center established standards and a suitable process for certification and evaluation of mediators and trainers of mediation. ADR center also conducted workshops for judges, magistrates, attorneys and members of civil society organizations that enabled judges to review the success and challenges of cases that were referred to ADR and to further evaluate the efficiency efforts to promote mediation in Barbados.