DEVELOPING ‘CORE PRINCIPLES AND PRESCRIPTIONS’ ESTABLISHED IN ODR UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM IN THE NIGERIAN LEGAL REGIME

Résumé

Online Dispute Resolution is increasingly being recognized as an important tool for enhancing access to justice in the subsisting digital economic era. As a matter of fact, there is need to analysis the principles and prescriptions of the UN Technical Notes on ODR, the guidelines and resolutions, and consequently but possibly, the identify best practices that may be adopted and adapted for the development of an ODR system in Nigeria’s evolving digital dispute resolution landscape. As ODR begins to make a gradual but steady appearance in the Nigerian digital economic regime as well as dispute resolution space, significant legal and infrastructural challenges remain. Against this background, the paper examined the core principles and prescriptions for a legal framework on ODR under the United Nations (UN) system, highlighting key principles such as impartiality, independence, efficiency and effectiveness amongst others. The authors by drawing lessons from the principles embodied in the UN Technical Notes on ODR, recommends that Nigeria should develop a comprehensive ODR legislation which embodies certain core principles, invest in digital infrastructure, and ensure enforcement of ODR outcomes. The authors therefore maintained that these steps are essential for Nigeria to harness the benefits of ODR in promoting efficient, cost-effective, and inclusive dispute resolution in an increasingly digital society.