Alternative Disputes Resolution in Tanzania. Modes and Challenges (PDF)

Academic Paper from the year 2022 in the subject Law - Public Law / Miscellaneous, grade: 1, Mzumbe University (FACULTY OF LAW), language: English, abstract: This paper intends to discuss the challenges facing of alternative dispute resolutions in Tanzania. In doing so the work will explore the meaning of Alternative Dispute Resolution, brief history of Alternative Dispute Resolution, thereafter modes of alternative dispute resolution currently used in Tanzania, and lastly I'm going to discuss the challenges facing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Tanzania.

It is unarguable fact that, disputes are one amongst the issues which are likely to appear where there are more than one individual occupying a certain geographical location. Basically, conflicts arise out of a misunderstanding between two or more individuals. Nevertheless, the existence of conflicts or disputes presupposes the existence of methods of settling them, the United Republic of Tanzania disciples the common law legal system which is believed to be the legacy of the British colonialists, Generally, the common law legal system is featured by adversarial mode of disputes settlement. The common way of settling dispute under this mode is by way of court litigation or adjudication. The end product of the system is in the form of winner takes all and loser loses all.

However, this justifies the arguments raised by peoples that, the adversarial mode of dispute settlement spices enmity amongst the disputants rather than shipping them to the safe coast. Actually, this is one amongst the reasons for the adoption of the Alternative Disputes Resolutions (hereinafter referred to as ADR) as another form of settling disputes. ADR encourages disputants to settle their disputes out of the court. There are several modes under ADR including but limited to mediation, arbitration, negotiation and early neutral case evaluation. But frankly speaking, methods introduced under ADR were applicable during the pre-colonial era in Tanzania.