The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched the initiative “Community Mediation: Towards a Litigation-Free Rural India” to strengthen access to justice by facilitating amicable resolution of disputes at the community level through dialogue, consensus and mutual understanding.
The initiative is being implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Mediation Act, 2023, read with the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, through the Legal Services Institutions across the country.
What is Community Mediation?
Community Mediation is a process for the amicable settlement of disputes likely to affect the peace, harmony and tranquillity amongst the residents or families of any area or locality with the help of Community Mediators. It is conducted by a panel of Community Mediators through dialogue and mutual understanding, with the objective of enabling parties to arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution in a voluntary, confidential and non-adversarial manner. This mechanism promotes community participation, preserves relationships and strengthens access to justice by resolving disputes at the grassroots level
Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- To progressively move villages towards the goal of becoming “Litigation-Free Villages” by facilitating early, local, and amicable resolution of disputes and thereby reducing the filing of new cases originating from villages.
- To strengthen Gram Panchayats and other community institutions by enabling them to play a constructive role in dispute prevention and resolution.
- To enhance legal awareness and promote preventive law practices within communities through sustained engagement and participatory processes.
- To develop a scalable and replicable national model of community mediation, capable of being adopted uniformly across States and Union Territories
Towards a Litigation-Free Rural India
The initiative reflects NALSA’s commitment to strengthening access to justice by promoting community-based dispute resolution mechanisms. By encouraging consensual settlement of disputes at the grassroots level, the initiative seeks to reduce avoidable litigation, strengthen public confidence in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and contribute towards the vision of a Litigation-Free Rural India
