Punjab and Haryana High Court’s mediation drive offers hope to litigants waiting for justice

For Dr Suresh Kumar Saini, a retired State government employee from Ambala, each visit to the Punjab and Haryana High Court over the past 13 years has brought fresh anxiety. His service matter, filed in 2012, has dragged on relentlessly, derailing his retirement plans. Although his case was last listed in January, the last effective hearing took place as far back as October 2024.

The delay, he knows, is not unique. A shortage of judges, coupled with a surge in case filings and increasingly complex disputes, has burdened the High Court, despite its concerted efforts that have actually produced a downward trend in overall pendency in recent months.

“Cases like mine seem endless,” he says. “I just want a way to end it quickly and move on with my life.”

Now, for litigants like him, there’s new hope.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has swung into action under the “Mediation for the Nation” campaign — a pan-India initiative conceptualised to clear judicial backlogs and give litigants a faster, less expensive, and more amicable alternative to traditional courtroom battles.

The drive is spearheaded nationally under the guidance of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant, who has been instrumental in bringing the concept from vision to reality as Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and Chairman of the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC).

Justice Surya Kant has been personally taking a keen interest in steering the campaign across all High Courts, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is his parent High Court and holds special significance for him.

The campaign, which began on July 1 and runs until September 30, aims to take mediation “to every nook and cranny,” offering parties the option of resolving disputes through negotiated settlements rather than protracted litigation. It’s a model expected to significantly reduce court pendency while allowing individuals like Dr Saini to reclaim control over their lives.

In pursuance of the national initiative, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has chalked out an ambitious strategy to identify and list a wide range of pending matters for possible mediation from July 8. These include matrimonial disputes, accident claims, cheque bounce cases, service matters, consumer disputes, commercial matters, debt recovery cases, domestic violence cases, partition suits, eviction matters, and land acquisition disputes, among others.

All such eligible cases — whether already on board or pending listing — will be placed under a new category called “For Referral to the Special Mediation Drive – Mediation ‘For the Nation’ List” and taken up by Single Judges, irrespective of their subject roster. In a move underscoring the seriousness of the effort, Judges sitting in Division Benches have also been requested to sit singly during part of the day to take up mediation referral matters.

Each Bench can handle up to 200 such mediation referral cases daily, over and above regular matters, ensuring the initiative has both reach and depth.

Justice Surya Kant’s deep involvement has lent a significant thrust to the campaign. Known for his strong advocacy of mediation as a transformative tool for justice delivery, he has repeatedly emphasised that mediation is not merely a technique but a cultural shift in how disputes are resolved.

Justice Surya Kant’s vision has been to empower citizens to arrive at solutions themselves, thereby reducing the adversarial burden on the courts and the emotional toll on litigants.

The campaign also comes with flexibility: parties can opt for physical, virtual, or hybrid mediation sessions. Taluka and District Legal Services Authorities will help facilitate online mediation, ensuring even litigants in remote areas can participate. Moreover, a trained pool of mediators, including professionals recently certified under 40-hour training programmes, will conduct the sessions, maintaining quality and credibility.

For the courts, the benefits are manifold: fewer pending cases, faster resolution timelines, lower costs, and improved efficiency. For litigants, the gains lie in saving time and money, preserving relationships — particularly crucial in family and commercial disputes — and retaining control over the outcome. The success of the massive exercise will unfold in the months ahead, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s proactive push signals a new chapter in dispute resolution — one where justice might finally arrive faster for people like Dr Saini.

HC seeks list of cases fit for mediation

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked all advocates and parties appearing in person to submit details of cases that show potential for settlement as a part of the “Mediation for the Nation” campaign launched across India. The High Court is listing all such matters before the Judges July 8 onwards.

An order by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu says the details of such matters are to be submitted to the Judicial Branches concerned by July 19 “so that the same could be referred for mediation”.

Haryana Tribune