- Punjab and Haryana High Court judges Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Vikram Aggarwal inaugurated the Madhyastha Centre of Excellence at Chandigarh University.
- The ‘Madhyastha’ Centre of Excellence at Chandigarh on Alternative Dispute Resolution will equip students with law knowledge and practical conflict resolution skills.
CHANDIGARH, India, Sept. 7, 2024: Madhyastha — Centre of Excellence on ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) was inaugurated at the Chandigarh University campus by Punjab and Haryana High Court judges Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Vikram Aggarwal in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP, and Chandigarh University Chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu. It marks a significant advancement in promoting education, skills, and expertise in mediation.
After the inauguration, Justice Deepak Gupta, as the chief guest, delivered a keynote address to the law students of Chandigarh University. He stressed that the recently established Center signifies a pivotal milestone and a substantial contribution to India’s future of law and justice.
Furthermore, Justice Deepak Gupta underscored the daunting challenge faced by the Indian judiciary, with an overwhelming backlog of over 5.7 crore cases pending across various courts in the country and cases awaiting resolution before numerous tribunals.
Highlighting the sheer volume of the workload, he expressed skepticism about the traditional court system’s capacity to manage it independently. In this context, he emphasized the indispensability of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation, arbitration, and Lok Adalats to ensure timely and amicable resolutions, enabling both parties to attain a mutual settlement.
Establishing the Centre of Excellence would provide Chandigarh University (CU) students with practical exposure to live mediation cases, enabling them to collaborate with seasoned mediators. This hands-on experience will be highly beneficial, nurturing a culture of peaceful conflict resolution that students can carry forward into their careers, whether as advocates, judges, corporate lawyers, or public servants. Justice Deepak Gupta appreciated the initiative, commending the University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS) at Chandigarh University. He emphasized that the enduring impact of this Center will significantly influence the future of legal education and justice in India.
During his keynote address, Chief Guest Justice Vikram Aggarwal articulated the significance of establishing the Madhyastha Centre of Excellence on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) at Chandigarh University. He commended the institution for its progressive approach and noted its esteemed position among the top private universities in the country. He characterized the initiative as a pivotal stride towards fostering a culture of constructive dialogue for peaceful conflict resolution.
Justice Aggarwal underscored the profound importance of mediation in the contemporary world, citing the overwhelming caseload that burdens the judicial system and often leads to protracted resolution periods. He emphasized that mediation provides a more confidential, less adversarial, and cost-effective alternative for conflict resolution. Furthermore, Justice Aggarwal highlighted that many countries have integrated mediation as an indispensable component of their legal framework, necessitating parties to attempt mediation before resorting to litigation.
As the university launched Madhyastha, the mediation cell Justice Aggarwal emphasized that it symbolizes an initiative and a movement toward a harmonious society where conflicts are amicably resolved through dialogue and compromise instead of hostility and litigation. He congratulated and commended Chandigarh University for establishing this pivotal mediation center.
Source: Chandigarh University
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