Ex-Judge: Mediation to reduce pressure on courts

Our Correspondent

KULLU, JUNE 2

Justice Kurian Joseph, former Judge of the Supreme Court, said the redressal of disputes with mediation and reconciliation helped keeping peace and harmony between the litigants and reduced the pressure of cases in courts. He was speaking as a chief guest in a conference on ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, Referrals and mediation techniques’ organised by the District Legal Services Authority under the aegis of the State Legal Services Authority here. Senior judicial officers from seven districts and trained advocates for ADR participated in the conference.

Justice Kurian Joseph said the mediation was often the notion for settling civil matters, but its scope should be broadened further. This system needed to be resolved by involving Executives Magistrates. It would reduce the backlog of cases in the courts and people would get affordable justice. He said settling disputes through ADR provides relief to both parties and there was no dissent in win and defeat.

He said the Executive Magistrates should be imparted training of alternative methods of dispute redressal which would further reduce the  burden on the courts and those in the queue of justice would get great relief. 

Presiding over the function,  Acting Chief Justice of High Court Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary said there was a diverse process for alternative dispute resolution methods, including mediation, Lok Adalats and reconciliation, where hundreds of disputes were resolved every day. He said during mediation, the litigant parties resolved their dispute without intervention of any third person. In this, the arbitrator decided the matter in a semi-judicial case after hearing both sides.

High Court Justice Vivek Singh Thakur said the ADR system for resolving the dispute was modern, dynamic, interactive and structured practice. He said mediators should be well-versed on the matter placed before them for mediation. Pros and cons should be taken care before deciding litigations. 

District and Sessions Judge Purender Vaidya said it was the need of the hour to evolve alternative dispute resolution mechanism keeping in view large docket of litigation before the courts. The objective of mediation was to enable the parties to reach mutual and honourable settlement. 

Member Secretary, HP State Legal Services Authority, Prem Pal Ranta presented the vote of thanks.