Srinagar :The Jammu & Kashmir Judicial Academy Saturday organised a one-day workshop on the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and the role of judges in mediation with special reference to the Mediation Act, 2023, at the Academy in Mominabad, Srinagar.
The workshop was held under the patronage of the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh and the guidance of Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Chairman, Governing Committee, J&K Judicial Academy.
Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Member, Governing Committee, delivered the inaugural address. She said arbitration, conciliation and mediation should be used as appropriate dispute-resolution mechanisms depending on the nature of each case.
Justice Kazmi emphasised the need for trained mediators, appropriate judicial referrals and institutional support, saying successful mediation should be measured by durable settlements rather than merely disposal of cases.
Former High Court Judge Justice Rashid Ali Dar conducted a technical session on arbitration, covering arbitration agreements, court referrals, appointment and jurisdiction of arbitral tribunals, interim measures and the relationship between courts and arbitral tribunals.
Former District and Sessions Judge Mohan Singh Parihar conducted sessions on the role of judges in referring cases to mediation and the recording, enforcement and implementation of mediated settlements. He stressed that courts should assess the nature of disputes and the possibility of settlement before making referrals.
Parihar also discussed the five ADR mechanisms—arbitration, conciliation, Lok Adalat, judicial settlement and mediation—and their application according to the nature of disputes.
Director J&K Judicial Academy Naseer Ahmad Dar highlighted the growing importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution, saying ADR should be viewed not merely as a tool to reduce pendency but as a means of providing timely and meaningful resolution to litigants.
The workshop provided judicial officers with practical insights into arbitration and mediation, including case identification, judicial referrals, settlement facilitation and implementation of dispute-resolution mechanis
