Bhubaneswar, March 15: Ten cases were solved through mediation at a workshop-cum-awareness camp conducted by the mediation and conciliation project committee of the Supreme Court at the ADR Centre building on the district and sessions court premises here yesterday.
Mediation is a method of dispute resolution that involves appointment of mediators who tries to bring together the disputant parties and make efforts to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution.
The programme aimed to popularise the system, which can also help clear a large number of cases pending in different courts.
The mediation programme provided an opportunity to lawyers, law students and people involved in judicial processes to know about the process.
Shailendra Kaur, an additional district judge and a judicial trainer representing the apex court committee, said mediation was one of the alternate dispute resolution mechanism where litigants got justice outside the court through discussion.
Through this process both the litigants discuss with a mediator who is a lawyer with more than 15 years of legal experience. Then the mediator finds out a solution, which is accepted by both the parties.
"This mediation system would help people get justice fast," said Kaur.
V.P. Johri, a Supreme Court lawyer who is part of the committee as an advocate trainer, highlighted benefits people would get if their cases were solved through mediation. According to the current system, it's free of cost, fair and neutral, he said.
"It saves time and the case files remain confidential. Besides, it avoids litigation and improves communication between both parties who feel having a win-win situation. It's voluntary and the decision cannot be appealed, as both party take the decision. The earlier court fees would be refunded if the litigants prefer the mediation process," said Johri.
The speakers told that cases that involves family dispute, domestic violence, divorce cases, civil cases and few criminal cases could be solved through the mediation process.
Durga Prasanna Choudhury, district and sessions judge, Bhubaneswar, who supervised the programme said the alternative dispute resolution system would help reduce burden on courts. Secretary of district legal service authority, Khurda and senior civil judge Sweta Mishra coordinated the programme.
A short film on mediation was also screened at the occasion. Besides, lawyers performed a play on the same topic. Silabhadra Shastri, a senior lawyer and one of the mediators, said the aim was to persuade more people to avail this justice delivery system.
"Earlier we had performed such plays at public forums to educate people about mediation and alternate dispute resolution systems," said Shastri.#
A national lok adalat was also held at the district and sessions court at Khurda in Bhubaneswar yesterday to clear backlog.
