Mission Mediation

An orientation programme on Mediation was organized by the Legal Aid Society on 31st March 2012. The event was graced by Honorable Justice of the High Court Ms. Hima Kohli, Advocate, Mediator and Guest faculty of Campus Law Centre Ms. Anita Sahani and a group of mediators who gave an in depth analysis of Mediation in a short span of time. Prof. in Charge Mr. J.L Kaul and Dr. Raman Mittal, Associate Prof. and Convener of the Legal Aid Society, Campus Law Centre boosted the morale of the participants with their presence. The programme started at 10 am and the students and participants of the event had a brain storming session with the mediators and speakers for more than three hours. The programme was highly interactive, involving lots of questions from the audience and illustrative examples from the speakers.

The programme informed the students of the Why, How and What of Mediation. Ms. Veena Ralli described Mediation as a process that aided in promoting "Satisfaction" for the parties. It was described as a friendly and cost effective way of settling disputes among parties and was provided for in sec. 89 of the Civil Procedure Code as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. The Mediators informed the audience that it could be practiced by trained professionals. The students were informed of the importance of the process. The programme also gave them fundamental knowledge of the mediation process, the Do's and Dont's of the technique and qualities necessary to be inculcated in a person to be a good mediator. 
             

Mediation was described as a field of immense potential, a lucrative career option that guarantees satisfaction. Mediation as a much needed and viable alternative of litigation is a rapidly progressing field of law but is just a shadow of its true potential at present. The speakers laid emphasis on choosing mediation as a career while providing this relevant information. Communication was unanimously pointed out as the soul of mediation in the orientation programme and the participants were encouraged to communicate well. There was a stress on being neutral, giving due respect to emotions and trying not to be a judge in the entire programme. These qualities were listed as the essentials to being a Mediator.

The students were also informed about an internship available in Mediation at the Delhi High Court for all the final year students. The Mediators asked the students to actively participate in Mediation and consider it as a career option in the future. The enlightening session came to a close with a logical thinking exercise which tested the creative and out of the box thinking capabilities of the students. It aimed to test their ability to find different solutions to a particular problem. The session remained vibrant and interactive throughout its duration and the audience was thoroughly entertained and involved while being imparted the knowledge. At the end of the programme certificates were provided to all the participants drawing the curtain to another successful programme held by the Legal Aid Society in 2012.

Ashay Anand