Hyderabad: Asserting that he is for Alternative Dispute Resolution methods, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said they can provide great support to the Indian judicial system by preventing matters from going to the Courts.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre here, Justice Ramana said Arbitration and Mediation have a long history in India and recently they have acquired prominence across the world as methods of dispute resolution.
I have been vocal about my support for such ADR methods. Such methods are beneficial to the parties to a dispute due to various reasons Another reason for my support is because these methods can provide great support to our judicial system, by either preventing matters from going to Courts in the first place, or by moving litigations out of Courts, he said.
People need to explore ADR options such as arbitration and mediation first, and approach courts only as a last resort, he further said.
The setting up of IAMC here is an important step towards enhancing the ADR landscape of the country though arbitration centers have already been set up in India, most prominently in Delhi and Mumbai. Domestic and international parties still appear to prefer to go to foreign countries for dispute resolution, Justice Ramana said.
Noting that Hyderabad has world class facilities, he said domestic and international parties will increasingly approach the IAMC.
Recalling former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s comments, Justice Ramana said the creation of the Centre is nothing but a tribute to visionary leaders who saw ADR as the way forward.
He thanked Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for extending his full support from the very start for the centre. Rao formally launched the website for IAMC.
The Trust Deed for the IAMC was signed on August 20 and MoU between the Government and the Trust was signed on the October 27, he said.