Every dispute doesn’t need full trial: CJI
Says mediation saves time, cost and relationships
As courts prepare to resume normal functioning next week after the winter recess, the judiciary is entering the year ahead with a clear recalibration — faster justice over fuller files, resolution over routine trials and technology as an aid, not an authority, in decision-making.
Articulating the broader institutional shift, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Saturday said the focus was on timely closure, predictable outcomes and unclogging dockets by identifying categories of cases that need not travel the full trial route. “Every dispute does not require a full-fledged trial,” the CJI said, underlining the judiciary’s renewed emphasis on mediation and negotiated settlements.
The CJI said the challenge before the judiciary was “not just the number of pending cases, but the nature of cases that clog the system for years”. “My priority is to work towards a predictable timeline and early resolution of disputes,” he said, adding that once such categories were identified, “solutions become clearer”.
Highlighting mediation as a key tool, Justice Kant said many matters could and should be resolved through alternative mechanisms. “The future of justice lies in negotiated settlements wherever possible. Mediation saves time, cost and relationships,” the CJI observed.
On the expanding role of technology in courts, the CJI struck a note of caution, saying digital tools must not overpower judicial decision-making. “Technology must remain a servant of justice, not its substitute. It should amplify human judgment, not replace it,” Justice Kant said.
Emphasising the judiciary’s connect with the common litigant, Justice Kant said justice delivery could not remain abstract. “The Supreme Court, and indeed the entire judiciary, is meant for the common man. It must work on the ground, for those who need it the most,” the CJI asserted.
Referring to a broader philosophical shift, the CJI said judicial decision-making must be rooted in constitutional values and social realities, responding to the society it serves. “Justice cannot be an endless process. It must be a meaningful outcome,” Justice Kant said, adding that success would be measured by fewer people waiting endlessly for justice and more disputes reaching closure.
