Amity Law School, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, organized the 5th edition of the prestigious Amity Alternative Dispute Redressal(ADR) Tournament 2022, on virtual platform. The ADR Tournament Prize was won by National Law University Jodhpur while National University of Juridicial Sciences(NUJS), Kolkata, were the runners-up at Tournament.
The main objective of this tournament was to bring out the latent talents of students, providing them with a learning experience and building their competitive spirit. It aimed to encourage the students to explore the various aspects of dispute resolution, understand its intricacies and receive a more practical understanding of the alternate methods of dispute settlement out of court, which will ultimately promote the various mechanisms of Alternative Dispute Resolution. The event also provided a great opportunity to the law students to understand Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its advantages.
The two-day tournament comprised of three sub-events- “Mediation Arbitration Competition”, “Negotiation Competition” and “Client Counselling Competition”, where the participating teams were judged on the criteria of Presentation, Problem Analysis, Knowledge and Applicability of Law, Post Interview Reflection and the Ability to Answer Questions. 75 teams from different colleges across the country, including Law College Dehradun, V.M Salgocar College of Law, National University of Juridicial Science(NUJS) Kolkata, participated in the event, amongst others. Apart from being the winners of the ADR Tournament, National Law University, Jodhpur was also declared the winner of “Client Counselling Competition” and “Mediation & Arbitration Competition” while the “Negotiation Competition” was won by Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU).
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest, Hon’ble Ms. Justice Rekha Palli, Judge, Delhi High Court, averred, “We have a lot of lawyers from Amity in various courts of India. It is really heartening to see that Amity Law School has a separate society for Alternative Dispute Resolution under the visionary leadership of honorable Founder President, Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan and other law schools should also imbibe that. ADR is a very effective, efficient and satisfying way of resolving the disputes as the courts interfere less. Being cost-effective, this method should be encouraged for the poor and needy too, as they need it the most.”
Addressing the gathering, Guest of Honour, Mr. Ramesh Gupta, Senior Advocate and Former Chairman, Bar Council of Delhi, averred, “In India, almost 42.1 million cases are pending for resolution in district courts, 5.7 million cases in high courts and almost 1 million cases are listed daily in district courts. We have very a smaller number of judges in courts which leads to a long delay in resolving the cases. This is where Alternative Dispute Resolution is very helpful as it accelerates the process and offers cost-effective solutions to the parties. Generally, ADR uses a neutral third party who helps the parties to communicate, discuss the differences and resolve the dispute in a short period of time. I congratulate the winners of the competition and also the team of Amity for organizing such a relevant competition which will help in nurturing great lawyers for our country.”
Highlighting the importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution, distinguished Guest of Honour, Mr. Joseph M. Matthews, Senior Arbitrator, Mediator and Advocate, The Florida Bar, United States of America, stated, “Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provides a substitute to the conventional methods of resolving disputes. It offers to resolve various types of matters including civil, commercial, industrial, family etc., where litigation takes years to settle the disputes. It also provides the parties with a channel to initiate a dialogue and reach the settlement expeditiously and cost-effectively. Therefore, it is a highly efficient way of resolving disputes and must be encouraged by the legal systems of various countries.”
Discussing the future of legal dispute resolution, distinguished Guest of Honour, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohammad Abdul Halim, District and Sessions Judge, Chottogram, Bangladesh, said, “As a judge, I can foresee that the future will be an era of Alternative Dispute Resolution as people want speedy justice at low cost since they do not have the time for a time-consuming litigation process. As a profession, mediators will be very much in demand in future. Also, ADR promotes Foreign Investment, as, when other countries want to invest in your country, they look at the legal system and see how much time is consumed in resolving the cases. If it takes a long time, they will not be motivated to invest in India. Therefore, ADR plays a significant role in the development of a country too.”
The Guest of Honour, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mukete Tahle, Senior Judicial and Legal Officer Cameroon, Co-Founder GNGG, Founder REWAC, Republic of Cameroon, expressed, “Resolving legal disputes amicably is the need of the hour which reinforces the significance and relevance of Alternative Dispute Resolution. I will be happy to lend my own support to the law students and faculty of Amity, whenever required and I congratulate the team of Amity for organizing this tournament.”
During the Valedictory Session, distinguished Guest of Honour, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Tandon, Chairman Arbitration and Mediation Centre, INBA and Former Judge, High Court of Uttarakhand, averred, “Amity follows the mode of dispute resolutions through mediation and settlement instead of going for stringent punishments, which reinforces the philosophy of "Practicing before Preaching". Salem Advocates Bar Association, in 2005, mentioned taking recourse to the Alternate Disputes Resolution (ADR) referred to in Section 89 of the Indian Constitution, since it enables individuals and groups to maintain co-operation, social order and provides an opportunity to reduce hostility.”
Sharing his views on the occasion, Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity Education Group, stated, “India is becoming the hub of arbitration and mediation. We, at Amity, always believe in providing our students with extra knowledge and skills, apart from the already existing curriculum. Therefore, we organized this tournament which gave the students an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and learning so that they can become successful and accomplished lawyers. Indian lawyers possess the required skill sets as they have a sharp acumen and ability to fight legal cases and arrive at fruitful conclusions. This competition will be highly beneficial for our students to enhance their skills and attain knowledge on the subject of Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR).”
Addressing the gathering, Prof. (Dr.) D. K. Bandyopadhyay, Chairman, Amity Law Schools, averred, “Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) encourages litigants to negotiate directly with each other prior to some other legal process that are very much like a courtroom process. It is an upcoming law arena devoted to preparing a generation of law professionals capable of facing future demands confidently. The competition is a unique initiative and one of the best avenues worldwide where students can experience a medley of dispute resolution activities simultaneously.”