Kerala High Court initiates suo motu case to address infrastructure issues at mediation centres

The Kerala High Court recently initiated a suo motu case to address issues relating to the inadequacy of infrastructural facilities at various mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution centres across the State.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Syam Kumar VM noted that the lack of adequate facilities makes it difficult to ensure confidentiality during such proceedings, which in turn waylays the entire dispute resolution process.

"The main infrastructural issues faced by the mediation centres are lack of proper place/venue for conducting mediation, inability to ensure privacy, inadequate physical and digital infrastructure, lack of staff, and even basic facilities, etc. The failure to ensure proper confidentiality impedes the mediation process," the Court noted.

The Court appointed advocate Adarsh Kumar as an amicus curiae to assist it in the case.

It granted time to State Attorney N Manoj Kumar to take instructions and impleaded the High Court Administration and the Kerala State Legal Services Authority as parties to the case.

The suo motu case will be taken up next on December 1.

[Read Order]