ADR centres: Litigants heave a sigh of relief

SIALKOT/KAMALIA – District and Sessions Judge Abdul Qayyum Khan stressed a need for promoting the good working relations between the bar and bench for providing cheap and easy justice.

The district and sessions judge inaugurated e-library and IT Centre at Sialkot DBA. Addressing a meeting of local lawyer held at Sialkot District Bar Association (DBA) at Sialkot city, the DSJ said that the lawyers’ community could also play its pivotal role in ensuring smooth provision of justice and removing all the hurdles for the purpose. He urged the lawyers to ensure the respect of black coat.

DSJ Abdul Qayyum Khan highlighted the role and importance of the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) System. He said that the ADR centres were playing pivotal role in early mediation between the people in disposing of the prolonged pending disputes besides building the public trust in the judicial system.

He said that the ADR centres would also be established at tehsil level in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils to ensure the speedy trial.

The DSJ said that the ADR Centre Sialkot has disposed of 88 cases out of total 122 cases forwarded to it during the last six months since its establishment at Sialkot on 1st June, 2017. The DSJ sought active cooperation of lawyers to promote awareness about ADR Centre besides ensuring the provision of maximum benefits of the system. Likewise, District and Session Judge Malik Sajid Ali Awan said, “The ‘Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) System has been devised by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah to bring the parties together to agree upon a mutually acceptable solution by skipping lengthy cases and complex legal complication and it is now gaining the people’s trust.”

“So far, 184 cases have been disposed of with the consent of the involved parties at the Toba Tek Singh ADR Centre in only 5 months which had been pending for the last several years, which is a clear sign of its huge success,” he stated during a media briefing at the Committee Room. Senior Civil Judge Admin Ch Aslam Mangan, Mediator Civil Judge Abid Islam Kodiana and other judges were also present.

Malik Sajid Ali Awan told the media that currently, 251 cases had been referred to the ADR Centre, out of which 184 have been decided, 40 cases are under mediation, while the rest of the cases could not be resolved for a variety of reasons. He said that efforts were made to convince the parties in the ADR Centre to agree upon solution to their minor disputes so that they do not grow into larger conflicts and family feuds. He said that the parties were put in separate rooms in a calm atmosphere as well as served with refreshment.
He stated so far most-138 cases – had been family cases, 24 fights, 14 guardianship, 56 civil, 11 civil appeal and 8 other cases have been resolved at the ADR Centre. He said that a huge number of cases had been suspended in the courts but with the ADR System the matters can be resolved in short time.

Source: The Nation