Reimagining Alternative Dispute Resolution in Africa: Innovation, Technology, and the Strategic Role of Young Practitioners

This study investigates the structural and operational transformation of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Africa, specifically focusing on the intersection of technological innovations and the strategic involvement of young practitioners within Ugandan institutional frameworks. The research evaluates the systemic barriers to ADR optimisation, the integration of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems, and the capacity-building paradigms required for emerging professionals. Adopting an exploratory qualitative case study design, this research examines the Centre for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (CADER) and legal training institutions in Kampala, Uganda. Data collection comprised semi-structured key informant interviews with 20 purposively sampled veteran arbitrators, young practitioners, and institutional managers, complemented by extensive documentary review. Thematic analysis revealed that while digital transformation and the energy of young practitioners present immense opportunities, structural path-dependencies, high software licensing costs, infrastructural deficits, and institutional gatekeeping severely restrict modernisation. Synthesising these findings through the dual lenses of Socio-Technical Systems (STS) Theory and Institutional Theory, the study concludes that technological adoption without corresponding cultural and regulatory restructuring results in superficial operational changes. The paper recommends that the Ugandan Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, alongside the Law Development Centre (LDC), establish mandatory, open-source ODR pilot platforms and institute generational quotas within institutional panels to democratize access and maximise efficiency.