Senior Puisne Judge of Islamabad High Court Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani awarded certificates in 6-day Accredited Mediation course participants – a Federal Ministry of Law & Justice initiative with collaboration of ADR-ODR International UK on Alternative Dispute Resolution system in Islamabad – Unleashing ADR to ease court burden and spread mediation mechanism across Pakistan.
A diverse group including judges from Islamabad and Balochistan, eminent lawyers of Supreme Court of Pakistan, professionals from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Law attended the training course who will go through a rigorous exam to become expert in the field.
A press release of the Ministry disclosed, “This initiative brought together a diverse group of participants, including judges from Islamabad and Balochistan, eminent lawyers of Supreme Court of Pakistan, professionals from PIMS, FBR, Law, and many others, highlighting that ADR is not confined solely to the legal sector”.
Taking an initiative to promote and expand use of the ADR and Mediation throughout country in order to reduce burden of litigations on courts, the Federal Ministry of Law & Justice has organized the training for selective group from September 23 to 28,2023 the other day.
During 2023, the Ministry of Law & Justice enacted the ADR Mediation Accreditation (Eligibility) Rules, 2023, and the ADR (Accreditation) Rules, 2023 under supervision of the Islamabad High Court. These rules have opened doors to a network of as many 69 accredited mediators and the establishment of three arbitration centers, each contributing to the continued success of ADR in Islamabad.
“The cases are successfully being referred and the results have been nothing short of remarkable, with a success rate exceeding 80%. This achievement underscores the effectiveness of ADR in providing swift and satisfactory resolutions for parties involved in disputes”, the Ministry claimed.
Greater satisfaction, improved relationships and longer lasting outcomes would be result of the ADR mechanism implementation in existing legal system of Pakistan. However, there is dire need for sense of positivism in selecting more aspirants for the cause across the board without fear and favor under the principle of openness.
The Ministry’ press release revealed, “The Ministry of Law & Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to facilitating superior judiciary in speedy dispensation of justice and looks forward to continuing to promote ADR practices across the country”.
Caretaker Federal Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam and Secretary of the ministry Raja Naeem Akbar chaired opening session of the training expressing heartfelt appreciation for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders involved in advancing mediation in Pakistan. They also underscored importance of such training initiatives in furthering the cause of justice in Pakistan.
Mr. Rahim Shamji, chief executive of ADR-ODR International UK and Ms. Sarah Tarar Resident Representative of ADR-ODR International shared their insight and knowledge with participants as training has been conducted under their expert guidance in premises of the ministry. It has been stated that the traditional formal litigation processes often lead to delays and increased costs, thereby impeding access to justice. In response, the ADR Act paved the way for an alternative dispute resolution system designed to facilitate the expeditious settlement of disputes without resorting to formal litigation. This landmark legislation set the stage for a transformative approach to dispute resolution in Pakistan. Senior Puisne Judge of the IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani notable presence in concluding session of the training was appreciated. In his presence, it was shared that the journey towards efficient and affordable justice took a significant stride in 2017 when the ADR Act was enacted.
The very purpose of the Act was that the State is required to ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice and an alternative dispute resolution system can facilitate settlement of disputes expeditiously without resort to formal litigation.
