SC justices inspire future lawyers at mediation competition

Vadodara: The Faculty of Law at city-based Parul University (PU) hosted an international mediation competition, bringing together top legal minds and student teams from 29 universities across India, including seven national law universities.
The two-day event, which ended on Sunday, served as a platform for aspiring legal professionals to hone their mediation and dispute resolution skills under the mentorship of jurists and legal scholars.
The competition witnessed the presence of Supreme Court (SC) Justices Rajesh Bindal and Ujjal Bhuyan, apart from judges Girish Kathpalia and Dr Sudhir Krishnaswamy.
"Despite the judiciary's tremendous workload, we continuously strive for efficiency, but these numbers highlight the importance of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms like mediation and arbitration. The Mahabharata itself illustrates early forms of mediation, and even today, business communities, especially in Gujarat, prefer resolving disputes internally. However, despite legislative provisions in acts like the Industrial Disputes Act, Marriage Act and MSME Development Act, mediation still faces challenges such as low attendance and a lack of trained mediators, especially at the lower level," Justice Rajesh Bindal said in his address.
"Over the years, the profession of law has undergone tremendous change, and going by the trends, it is set for further transformation. A lawyer is not only the spokesperson for his client, but the role of the lawyer also must be seen as a peacemaker," Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said while talking to students.
Vadodara: The Faculty of Law at city-based Parul University (PU) hosted an international mediation competition, bringing together top legal minds and student teams from 29 universities across India, including seven national law universities.
The two-day event, which ended on Sunday, served as a platform for aspiring legal professionals to hone their mediation and dispute resolution skills under the mentorship of jurists and legal scholars.
The competition witnessed the presence of Supreme Court (SC) Justices Rajesh Bindal and Ujjal Bhuyan, apart from judges Girish Kathpalia and Dr Sudhir Krishnaswamy.
"Despite the judiciary's tremendous workload, we continuously strive for efficiency, but these numbers highlight the importance of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms like mediation and arbitration. The Mahabharata itself illustrates early forms of mediation, and even today, business communities, especially in Gujarat, prefer resolving disputes internally. However, despite legislative provisions in acts like the Industrial Disputes Act, Marriage Act and MSME Development Act, mediation still faces challenges such as low attendance and a lack of trained mediators, especially at the lower level," Justice Rajesh Bindal said in his address.
"Over the years, the profession of law has undergone tremendous change, and going by the trends, it is set for further transformation. A lawyer is not only the spokesperson for his client, but the role of the lawyer also must be seen as a peacemaker," Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said while talking to students.