Overview
- Chief Justice B.R. Gavai said traditional litigation cannot carry the full load of disputes and urged greater reliance on mediation as a restorative process.
- He asked senior advocates to steer parties toward mediation to help resolve cases collaboratively and reduce pressure on courts.
- Gavai noted that many eligible Indians remain unaware of their rights under legal aid schemes, leaving justice out of reach for vulnerable groups.
- He called for accountability on both Bar and Bench, criticizing frequent adjournments and pointing to uneven judicial performance as drivers of delay.
- SCBA president Vikas Singh cited 5.36 crore pending cases nationwide and argued that wider uptake of mediation could drastically cut the backlog.