In a significant move to reduce the massive backlog of pending cases across courts in India, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Supreme Court Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) will jointly launch a 90-day nationwide mediation campaign from July 1 to September 30, 2025.
Objective: Speedy resolution through mediation
NALSA recently issued a press release announcing the launch of the campaign titled ‘Mediation for the Nation’, aimed at resolving pending cases through alternative dispute resolution methods.
The initiative will run seven days a week, with special focus on convenience and accessibility for all parties involved, to ensure its success.
Focus areas for mediation
The campaign will prioritise the mediation of various types of pending cases, including:
- Matrimonial disputes
- Accident compensation claims
- Domestic violence cases
- Cheque bounce cases
- Commercial disputes
- Service-related matters
- Compoundable criminal cases
- Consumer disputes
- Eviction-related cases
The campaign seeks to spread awareness among citizens that mediation is an efficient, affordable, and relationship-preserving mechanism for dispute resolution.
Legal experts applaud the initiative
Former Additional Solicitor General and ex-Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, KC Kaushik, praised the initiative as a much-needed step to ease the burden on the judiciary.
“This mediation campaign should be extended from the lower courts up to the Supreme Court,” he said.
He emphasised that mediation leads to mutually agreeable decisions, with minimal chances of appeal.
Senior Supreme Court advocate ML Lahoty also welcomed the campaign, stressing the need for such efforts to prevent litigants from becoming disillusioned due to long delays.
Referring specifically to cheque bounce cases, he pointed out that despite expectations of resolution within a few months, many such cases remain pending for years, even after Supreme Court directions.
Backlog: Over 5.2 crore cases pending nationwide
India’s judiciary is currently grappling with over 5.2 crore pending cases, out of which 60 lakh cases have been unresolved for over a decade. The backlog is particularly severe in several High Courts:
- Allahabad High Court: 11.3 lakh pending cases
- Rajasthan High Court: 6.8 lakh
- Maharashtra High Court: 6.6 lakh
- Madhya Pradesh High Court: 4.8 lakh
A shortage of judges is often cited as one of the major reasons behind this staggering backlog.
Call for discipline in hearings
Lahoty further recommended that courts limit adjournments by allowing lawyers only a single opportunity to defer hearings.
“Repeated postponements contribute heavily to the rising number of pending cases,” he said.
With this mediation campaign, the legal authorities aim to restore public confidence in the justice delivery system and promote faster, more efficient resolution of disputes across the country.
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