Former chief justices Mustafa Kamal and KM Hasan have stressed the need for enhancing mediation skill and technique of judges and lawyers to resolve cases, especially family disputes, out of the courts.
Continuous efforts should be made in a bid to involve judges and lawyers in mediation programmes for enhancing their skill in solving disputes, they said.
They were speaking at the closing session of a three-day Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Training Workshop on Update on Mediation organised by British Council at Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in Dhaka yesterday.
They also awarded certificates to 32 judges and lawyers, who came from different districts to take part in the programme.
Trainers from the UK Lawrence Kershen, QC, and Carey Haslam conducted the training with the assistance of Justice Mustafa Kamal, Justice KM Hasan and Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque. The training was aimed at developing a group of skilled mediators who can also train up new mediators.
Justice Mustafa Kamal said most of resistance against mediation comes from senior lawyers, while Bangladesh Bar Council is not coming forward to enhance mediation system.
"The lawyers and bar council should change their mindset and come forward to strengthen the mediation system in the judiciary," he said.
Justice KM Hasan said a group of touts as third parties have created obstacles for litigants to taking mediation process for resolving cases.
"The touts don't allow the litigants to go for mediation. This is a real problem. The touts are economically, socially and economically very powerful. This government is fighting against them and we'll have to fight against them," he said.