MEDIATION & ODR CHALLENGES - CURRENT TRENDS & WAY FORWARD

The third panel was titled "Mediation & ODR Challenges - Trends & Way Forward" and was moderated by Amarjit Singh Chandhiok, President, INSOL India. The panelists included: Justice Gita Mittal, Former Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir & Former Acting Chief Justice & Judge, High Court of Delhi; Veena Ralli, Organizing Secretary Samadhan, Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre; Ashok Barat, Founder, Merx Business Advisor LLP; Rajneesh Jaswal, General Counsel; and Priyanka Kalra Dar, Partner, Kalra & Krishnan. Justice Gita Mittal said, "ODR lends expedition, efficiency and convenience to the process of mediation, saves costs to parties, and enables absolute confidentiality in communication, making mediation the most effective dispute resolution mechanism at international and national levels. If it could be coupled with a robust legislative framework, the mediation facilities in India would match the best in the world today." Veena Ralli said that mediation is an apt key to the resolution of conflicts. Ashok Barat said, "In situations other than where a point of law needs to be interpreted, mediation is the sanest, sincerest, most cost effective and the speediest way to resolve contractual disputes. Legal Era raising its voice and permitting its platform to evangelize and make people aware of mediation is an enormous encouragement to this movement". Rajneesh Jaswal said, "Online Mediation and arbitration have the ability to provide economic and reputational benefits especially in disputes involving corporations. Technology and mediators must be and can be used to cater to these scenarios."