MH-JUDGE-MEDIATION

SC judge stresses on pre-litigation mediation
    Nagpur, Aug 18 (PTI) Justice Sharad Bobde of the
Supreme Court emphasised the need for pre-litigation mediation
and the role of the legal aid system to ensure people get
speedy justice.
    He was speaking on Saturday at the inaugural function
of the 17th All India Meet of State Legal Services Authorities
here.
    Justice Bodbe said 1,07,587 matters were settled
through mediation between April 2017 to March 2018, adding
that in Gujarat, recently, 24,000 cases were settled in a
single day.
    "An emphasis is developing on mediation. Therefore, we
are thinking of compulsory 'pre litigation mediation' which
need not be restricted to only commercial disputes," the apex
court judge said.
    There should be degree, diploma courses in mediation
in law universities in the country, he added.
    He said legal aid provided to disadvantaged sections
of society has helped them have their voices heard.
    "Many from the disadvantaged sections of society do
not even know they have legal rights under law and welfare
schemes," Justice Bodbe said.
    Citing figures, he said about 80 per cent of people in
the country are entitled to legal aid but it is provided to
not more than 0.05 per cent of the population.
    He commended the state legal service authorities on
their work and said the system was gaining momentum across the
country with active support from the high courts.
    "There has been substantial increase in the number of
people benefiting through legal services. It was around 5.5
lakh in 2016-17, which increased to 14.75 lakh in 2018-19.
This is a threefold increase in a period of two years," said
Justice Bobde.
    "We haven't formulated the conditions, but apparently
the thinking is you must get legal aid provided you first
resort to 'pre litigation mediation'. This is something we
could start paying attention to," he added.
    The SC judge said there should be a concept of "public
defenders" as people from marginalised sections of society
often find they have no one to defend them.
    He said this system would also give junior members of
the Bar an opportunity to get meaningfully engaged in actual
litigation.
    He said video-conferencing facility was helping
prisoners get legal redress. PTI CLS
BNM BNM

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)