Jammu/Srinagar, December 31 : Under the patronage of Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, a specialized three-day “Conduct of Mediation – Advanced Course (Capsule Course), Training of Trainers Programme” concluded successfully on Wednesday. The event was organized simultaneously at the Jammu and Srinagar campuses of the J&K Judicial Academy by the High Court’s Mediation and Conciliation Committee, in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Judicial Academy and the J&K Legal Services Authority.
The intensive 20-hour programme, designed for seasoned mediators and advocates, aimed to enhance advanced mediation competencies through a rigorous curriculum combining theoretical instruction, simulated role-play exercises, and reflective practice.
The concluding sessions were led by two accredited Mediation Trainers from the Supreme Court of India’s Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC): Ms. Puneeta Sethi, Advocate from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Ms. Rita Das Mouzumdar, Advocate from the Gauhati High Court.
The final day delved into advanced facets of mediation practice. Proceedings commenced with an in-depth module on Negotiation, exploring negotiation styles, core skills, cognitive biases, and the mediator’s role in facilitating principled dialogue. This was followed by a practical role-play exercise and guided reflection.
Subsequent sessions addressed the critical challenge of Impasses in Mediation, analyzing their origins, stages, and resolution strategies. Trainers elucidated techniques for mediators to manage deadlocks, including assessment, option generation, lateral thinking, reframing perspectives, and leveraging external resources judiciously.
The curriculum also covered the identification of false impasses, avoidance strategies, and methods to steer parties toward sustainable resolution. A dedicated segment on professional ethics underscored the paramount importance of neutrality, accountability, and prescribed standards of conduct for mediators.
The pedagogy integrated expert lectures, interactive discussions, and scenario-based simulations, allowing participants to synthesize learnings from the prior days and apply advanced concepts to complex mediation scenarios.
Participants widely praised the programme’s reflective and practical approach, noting that the structured simulations provided clear insights into integrating sophisticated mediation tools into judicial and legal practice.
The simultaneous execution of the training in Jammu and Srinagar underscores the High Court’s concerted efforts to expand mediation awareness and strengthen alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms across the Union Territory.
Formal votes of thanks were extended at both venues, acknowledging the guidance of the Hon’ble Chief Justice, the support of the Governing Committees of the J&K Judicial Academy and J&K Legal Services Authority, the expertise of the resource persons, and the active engagement of all officers involved.
The programme concluded on a note of accomplishment, marking a significant step in building institutional capacity for advanced mediation within the region’s legal framework.
