New Delhi, Jan 20 Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya on Tuesday said amicable settlement of disputes was the hallmark of civilisation and that mediation as a method of dispute resolution was also present in ancient India.
Speaking at the launch of Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre,? Samadhan's calendar for the year, Justice Upadhayay said mediation was faster, cheaper and flexible than litigation, and the country was moving towards a robust and codified system where mediation was a preferred pathway for resolving disputes outside the courtroom.
"Settlement of dispute in an amicable way is the hallmark of civilisation. In ancient India, the mediation system was prevalent in one form or another. It has continued in our villages and has been preserved in its customary form in tribal areas," he said.
"When people feel heard and treated fairly, trust is rebuilt, tensions reduce and cooperation increases. This is how harmony is achieved. Not by avoiding conflicts, but by resolving it peacefully. Mediation plays a vital role in maintaining harmony. Therefore we can say that mediation is not just a method of conflict resolution, but a foundation for lasting harmony," he added.
The event was also attended by Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath, who is also the chairman of the top court's Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee.
He said the high court's mediation centre's success rate of almost 50 per cent was "amazing" and "wonderful" and expected all high courts in the country to "try and perform better than ever before" this year.
"Someday when I am invited, I will come and visit (the Samadhan building) and will impress upon other high courts to have a similar infrastructure if not better so that the mediation campaign goes on full throttle," Justice Nath said.
