Senior Advocate and Balaji Foundation Chairperson Pradeep Rai has stressed on mediation, saying that in the next 10-15 years, lawyers will not be known by how many cases they appeared in, rather, how many cases were prevented from reaching the courts.
Inaugurating the two stalls put up by the Delhi Dispute Resolution Society at the 42nd edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2023 in Pragati Maidan, Delhi, along with former Delhi High Court judge, Justice M.L. Mehta, Rai encouraged the legal experts and Advocates to settle the cases at personal level, without moving the courts.
He said the most common and prominent dispute was between a husband and a wife, followed by disputes among friends.
As per the Senior Advocate, sometimes people would say such words, without even realising that it could hurt others.
“Such cases are difficult to deal with and that is where the legal acumen of our Advocates comes into play. Our mediators have a great expertise in solving such matters,” he added.
In today’s complex and interconnected world, conflicts and disputes are an inevitable part of human interactions.
Whether in business, family, community, or legal matters, disputes can often lead to protracted and costly battles in the traditional court system. In response to the increasing burden on courts and the need for more efficient methods of resolving disputes, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms have gained significant attention and popularity.
One such mechanism that has emerged as a powerful catalyst for effective dispute resolution is mediation. Mediation is a voluntary process in which an impartial and neutral mediator tries to bring together the disputant parties to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution.
The parties to the dispute have an opportunity to ventilate their grievances and feelings and thereafter work out the solutions to meet their interests. The mediator does not decide or impose any solution on the parties but creates a favourable environment to enable them to reach an amicable settlement.
The Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (Regd) is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the entire country taken by the Department of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs, Government of NCT of Delhi, for the introduction of Alternate Dispute Resolution processes, especially Mediation and Conciliation to not only matters pending before Courts, Consumer Forums and such other bodies, but also in respect of pre-litigation cases.
The institution was conceived by none other than Justice (Retd) M.L. Mehta, former judge of the Delhi High Court in 2009, it is now a full-fledged institution with 10 centres across Delhi and serving the people of Delhi NCR.
After the passing of the Mediation Act 2023 by the Parliament, the DDRS has taken this initiative to promote awareness about Mediation and Arbitration.
It has organised a public awareness programme from November 14-27 at the IITF 2023 by putting up two stalls in Hall no 1 and Hall no 6 to spread awareness about Mediation and Arbitration through various ways, such as Direct Public Engagement with Mediators, Nukkad Natak and Awareness Material like Pamphlets.
The campaign was initiated on November 17 with the Inauguration ceremony by Justice (Retd) M.L. Mehta, Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai and Advisor, Training & Event DDRS, Anuja Saxena.
DRDS is a unique initiative, which promotes Mediation, Arbitration and Conciliation. The parties before taking legal recourse to Courts and Police, are encouraged to approach the Mediation Centres set up in different parts of Delhi by DRDS for settlement of their disputes amicably.
The DDRS helps parties in resolving disputes through mediation. It also imparts 40 Hours Mediation Training to Judges, Retired Officers, Bureaucrats, Advocates, Social Workers and Respectable Citizens.
