By Sanjay Raman Sinha
In a new initiative, 250 members of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) have become mediators. This is the largest number in recent history. The initiative was conducted in five phases and 10 batches, out of which one was all-women.
To celebrate the success of these newly appointed mediators and freshly passed out Advocate-on-Records (AoRs), SCBA vice president and senior advocate Pradeep Rai recently organised a get-together party in Delhi, where former Chief Justice of India NV Ramana was also honoured for making mediation efforts a reality.
Justice Ramana said: “The world has moved from the traditional court system to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) or arbitration; but now the trend is towards mediation. People, the world over, are fed up with arbitration as the process is long drawn and awards are not accepted by the parties. The benefits of mediation are manifold. Both parties willingly participate, there are no winners or losers and the awards are easy to implement.’’
At the function, Rai said: “I had requested a few things, one was a utility lounge, and Justice Ramana said let me think about it and I will do something which will be maintained forever. Now that utility lounge is a reality. Justice Ramana took extra pains to facilitate the chambers. If 250 newly selected AoRs and 250 mediators are here, it is because of Justice Ramana.”
Rai in his role as the vice president of SCBA has been instrumental in promoting the cause of mediators. He had been championing the cause of Bar members and demanded new chambers, a library and sports facilities for them.
The function was also attended by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice SP Singh Baghel, Armed Forces Tribunal Chairperson Justice Rajendra Menon, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, journalists Nalini Singh and Bhupendra Chaubey and bureaucrats.