Who Exactly Is An ADR Registrar/Secretary? – TheNigerialawyer

In 2018, the Dispute Resolution Centre of the Abuja Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (DRC-ACCI), in collaboration with the
Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC),
introduced the training on ADR Registry/Secretarial Services.

As the Training & Communications Officer of ICMC and one of
the officers coordinating the training, I receive a good number of
enquiries as regards the training along the lines of; “Will this
training qualify me for appointment as a Registrar of a Court of
Law?”, “I am in full-time litigation practice. Will this affect my
job?”, “I’ve never heard of an ADR Secretary before, can you tell
me about it?”, “I’m already a member of ICMC, what do I need this
certification for?”, “I’m not a member of ICMC, can I still
participate in this course?”, “Once I get the certificate, will you
appoint me?”, “Chimdimma, I want to resolve disputes, I want to
manage the process, why are you trying to reduce me to secretarial
services?”. The questions are endless really, and as an Institute
we appreciate every call, text or email we receive. However, in
some way these enquiries all boil down to one question; Who exactly
is an ADR Registrar/Secretary?

The motivation behind this article is to answer this question,
and go further to explain why registering for this training is a
good step for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioners
and individuals looking to enter into ADR practice.

An ADR Registrar/Secretary is an individual who is tasked with
handling administrative duties for the duration of Arbitration,
Mediation, Conciliation, and other ADR proceedings. They are often
referred to as either ADR Registrars or ADR Secretaries.

Out of all the ADR mechanisms, I must say the use of ADR
Registrars/Secretaries is most prominent in Arbitration; hence the
term “Arbitral Registrars/Secretaries”.

Although ADR Registrars/Secretaries are not part of the tribunal
of Neutrals in the proceedings, they play a rather important role.
These individuals assist the Neutrals in ensuring the
smooth-running of the proceedings. This assistance may amount to
handling scheduling, taking notes, and such other administrative
tasks.

Although this area of ADR practice is largely neglected compared
to others, it is a skill that will be useful to all ADR
practitioners, especially those with little or no practice
experience. This is a good entryway into ADR practice. For
instance, say you are a certified Arbitrator but in the years since
successfully completing your training and obtaining certification,
you have had no opportunity to practice. By serving as an ADR
Registrar/Secretary in arbitral proceedings, you have the unique
opportunity to understudy more experienced Arbitrators and get
yourself acquainted with how the process works. With time, if you
are diligent enough, you will be able to conduct Arbitration on
your own.

This goes for other ADR mechanisms as well, ADR
Registry/Secretarial Services is not limited to Arbitration.
Article 8 of the Conciliation Rules contained in the Third Schedule
of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, Cap 18, LFN 2004, makes
provision for Administrative Assistance, which includes but is not
limited to ADR Registry/Secretarial Services.

For those with full-time jobs, I would like to remind you that
one of the defining features and advantages of ADR is its
flexibility; meaning with the consent of all parties involved, you
can schedule your sessions taking your office hours into
consideration. If you choose, you can schedule your ADR proceedings
to hold in the evenings or during the weekends.

As a professional, irrespective of your discipline, it is always
in your best interest to acquire additional skills and improve your
capacity. According to Rachael Osibu, FICMC, MCIArb (UK), a highly
experienced ADR Registrar/Secretary, you can never over-emphasize
the importance of the openness to learn and the need to sharpen
your soft skills.

For registration for the ADR Registry/Secretarial Services
Training of ICMC and DRC-ACCI and/further enquiries, kindly send a
mail to icmctrainings@gmail.com

If you need an in-road into ADR practice, or you are already an
active ADR practitioner looking develop your skills in other
practice areas, then this course is for you.

By Chimdimma Onyedebelu, Training &
Communications Officer, ICMC