Institutions can only grow through communication: Justice Mansoor

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Senior Puisne Judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has said that institutions can only grow through negotiation and communication, adding that district and sessions judges must promote a culture of negotiation, communication, sharing and caring and that will help to deliver the best.

He expressed these views in the certificate awarding ceremony at the conclusion of a two-day workshop on “Negotiation Mastery: Theory, Jurisprudence and Practice”, held here at the Federal Judicial Academy, jointly organised by the Fatima Jinnah Women University Department of Law and Federal Judicial Academy.

Justice Mansoor said that alternative dispute resolution (ADR) was absolutely essential.

“I don’t think we can get rid of or deal with 2.4 million cases in Pakistan where they are right now,” the Supreme Court judge said, adding that ours is a litigant society, so the pendency is rising and the number of judges we have it is only 4,000.

“I don’t think litigation is an answer to it,” Justice Mansoor said. He said that there has to be some alterative solution to this entire litigation landscape we have and the only option is the ADR, adding that it is not rocket science and it is happening all around the world.

The judge said that we have ADR facilities, adding that the best solution to litigation is the ADR and we must have to move to it. Justice Mansoor also supported to establish ADR centres at district level across the country so that maximum number of cases could be addressed in these centres to ensure expeditious justice to citizens. He also appreciated the term “ADR Renaissance in Pakistan” coined by Dr Jo Chatilik.