HC seeks list of cases fit for mediation
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 dispute, 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. Shortage of judges, coupled with rising case filings and increasingly complex disputes, has burdened the High Court, despite 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 offer litigants a faster, less expensive and more amicable alternative to courtroom battles.
Advocates and parties appearing in person have been asked to submit details of cases with potential for settlement. The HC will list all such matters before judges from July 8. An order issued by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu states that details must be provided to the Judicial Branches by July 19 “so that the same could be referred for mediation”.
The drive is spearheaded nationally under the guidance of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant, who has played a key role in transforming the concept into 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, his parent High Court, which holds special significance for him.
The campaign, running from July 1 to September 30, seeks to take mediation “to every nook and cranny”, enabling parties to settle disputes through negotiation rather than protracted litigation.
Chief Justice Sheel Nagu has outlined an ambitious strategy to identify and list a broad range of pending cases for mediation, including matrimonial disputes, accident claims, cheque-bounce matters, service issues, consumer and commercial disputes, debt recovery, domestic violence, partition, eviction and land acquisition cases.
Such matters will be placed under a new category — “For Referral to the Special Mediation Drive – Mediation ‘For the Nation’ List” — and handled by Single Judges, irrespective of the roster. Judges in Division Benches have also been asked to sit singly for part of the day to take up mediation referrals. Each Bench can handle up to 200 such cases daily, beyond their regular workload.
Justice Surya Kant, known for advocating mediation as a transformative justice tool, has stressed that mediation represents not merely a technique but a cultural shift. His vision aims to empower citizens to craft solutions themselves, easing the courts’ adversarial burden and reducing the emotional toll on litigants.
The campaign offers flexibility, with parties free to choose physical, virtual or hybrid mediation sessions. Taluka and District Legal Services Authorities will assist in organising online mediation. A trained pool of mediators, including professionals recently certified under 40-hour programmes, will conduct sessions to ensure quality outcomes.
For courts, the benefits include reduced backlog, quicker resolutions, lower costs and greater efficiency. For litigants, mediation promises savings in time and money, preservation of relationships — especially vital in family and commercial matters — and more control over outcomes.
The results of this ambitious exercise will unfold in the coming months, but the High Court’s proactive push signals a new chapter in dispute resolution — one where justice may finally arrive faster for people like Dr Saini.
Punjab