THE ROLE OF THE MULTIDOOR COURT HOUSE IN THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Business activities largely involve creation of contracts at different levels. These contracts create rights and obligations that are expected to be fulfilled for businesses to thrive. However, very often, there are breaches, partially or fully, or disagreements over the terms of the contracts between and among business entities and individuals. When this happens, as it often does, it is expected that there are frameworks, structures and systems within an economy for timely resolution of disputes and enforcement of the contract to keep the sanctity of the business Disputes may also arise among the various stakeholders of small and Medium Scale Enterprises whose entrepreneurs may not have the capacities or the will to pursued the resolution of such disputes through the conventional courts. The challenges of delay, cost, broken relationships, unnecessary publicity and restrictive outcomes of litigation in Nigeria have made it largely ineffective for the resolution of business or commercial disputes in Nigeria . One of the major functions of law is to provide effective , efficient , responsible , reliable and objective systems to members of communities and societies The engagements of the various methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution such as Arbitration, Mediation, Negotiation , Negotiation, Conciliation , Expert Determination and other fitting methods by The Multi Door Court House have made the resolution of such disputes more effective and results oriented when they occur in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises The Multi Door Court House as an Institution has particularly contributed to Access to Justice through the engagement of these ADR mechanisms for the resolution of commercial disputes particularly in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria.