Abstract

This article discusses the applicability of two ‘informal’ approaches to the resolution of conflict: alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and plea bargaining. More particularly, the article examines the relevance of these two approaches to the Nigerian criminal justice system. Widely used as a means of resolving civil disputes, ADR also has a role to play in the achievement of criminal justice. The article examines this role in some detail. Attention is also given to plea bargaining in the context of the country’s criminal justice framework. The article proposes that the parties to a criminal dispute, and society at large, might benefit from a more extensive use of plea bargaining, which remains underdeveloped in Nigeria.