CJI pitches for ‘multi-door courthouse’ for comprehensive dispute resolution

Panaji: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Friday that he envisions a transition towards a multi-door courthouse where the court is a comprehensive centre for dispute resolution and not merely a place for trial.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Bar Council of India’s National Conference and Symposium on Mediation in South Goa, the CJI said there is a need for a larger number of mediators across all levels, from district courts to the apex court.

Mediation, which can reduce judicial pendency, is not a sign of the law’s weakness but its highest evolution, he said.

“As we look forward towards the horizon, I envision a transition towards the multi-door courthouse. What I mean to say is that this is a visionary concept where the court ceases to be a singular venue for trials. Rather, it becomes a comprehensive centre for dispute resolution,” he said.

The CJI said that when a seeker of justice approaches a court, they must find the doors to mediation, arbitration, and ultimately litigation, each tailored to the specific nature of their grievance.

“We must acknowledge that there are bound to be some cases which cannot be resolved through arbitration or mediation. Therefore, the judicial system will always be prepared for fair litigation trials to adjudicate those disputes,” he said.

The CJI said the multi-door court concept is the “ultimate empowerment of litigants”.

After giving the ‘Oath of Mediation’ to all the participants at the event, the CJI said that mediation is a cause that he holds dear to his heart with deep conviction.

“Litigation is often the autopsy of a dead relationship and clinical exam of what went wrong. Mediation, on the contrary, is the remedial surgery that seeks to preserve the living pulse of a connection. To truly grasp the significance of mediation in our present context, we might look at a piece of local wisdom,” he said.