Nagaland State Legal Services Authority settles 89 cases under 90-day mediation campaign

DIMAPUR — The 90-day 'Mediation for the Nation' campaign concluded in Nagaland with the amicable settlement of 89 cases out of 428 referred matters between July and September. The campaign was organised by the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) under the national initiative.

According to an update, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in association with the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) of the Supreme Court of India, conceptualised the special mediation drive – 'Mediation for the Nation' – under the guidance of the chief justice of India and Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India, executive chairman of NALSA, and chairman of MCPC.

The campaign was launched across India on July 1, 2025.

During the campaign, the High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC) and District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) referred a total of 428 cases for amicable settlement. Of these, 86 were resolved and settled between the parties and registered in various judicial courts. DLSAs and HCLSC first identified the cases, informed the parties, and referred them to mediators.

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Justice Surya Kant also held video conferences with chief justices and members of Mediation Monitoring Committees of all High Courts in India during the drive. To make the campaign effective, all high courts transmitted data to MCPC regarding total pending matters as well as those referred for mediation in each category.

Cases were taken up by mediators who had undergone 40 hours of mediation training. The cases involved money suits, custody cases, consumer disputes, family disputes, criminal compoundable cases, accident claims, recovery suits, motor accident claims, and other civil matters. However, many cases could not be settled due to reasons such as the non-response of parties, lack of interest in mediation, and requests for more time.

Mediation is a legal process through which opposing parties can resolve conflicts with the assistance of a neutral mediator. It is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that serves as an alternative to resolving disputes through a trial or court proceedings.

In Nagaland, under NSLSA, 52 legal practitioners have received mediation training imparted by NALSA. Parties interested in resolving disputes amicably can approach the respective DLSA Front Offices in all districts or the NSLSA office ahead of the upcoming 4th quarterly National Lok Adalat scheduled for December 13.