Ministry emphasizes alternative dispute resolution

Conducts six-day training session attended by jurists and senior officials

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of Law and Justice organized a six-day accredited civil and commercial mediation training course, which took place from September 23 to September 28. The aim was to promote the use of alternative dispute resolution methods.

A diverse group of participants, including judges from Islamabad and Balochistan, lawyers from the Supreme Court, professionals from the Pakistan Institute of Management Sciences (PIMS), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the law ministry, and various other departments, attended the training.

The opening sessions were presided over by the Caretaker Minister for Law and Justice, Ahmed Irfan Aslam, and the Secretary of the Ministry, Raja Naeem Akbar.

Both the minister and the secretary expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders involved in advancing mediation in Pakistan. They emphasized the importance of such training initiatives in furthering the cause of justice in Pakistan.

The concluding session was graced by Senior Puisne Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The training was conducted under the guidance of Rahim Shamji, chief executive of ADR-ODR International UK, and Sarah Tarar, resident representative of ADR-ODR.

The participants were informed about the resounding success of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system in Islamabad. It was shared that the journey towards efficient and affordable justice took a significant stride in 2017 when the parliament enacted the Alternate Dispute Resolution Act, 2017.

The act was a result of the realization that the state must ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice, and that an alternative dispute resolution system can facilitate the settlement of disputes expeditiously without resorting to formal litigation, as stated in a press release issued to the media.