Justice L Nageswara Rao of the Supreme Court on Sunday stressed on the importance of pre-litigation mediation to resolve disputes and promotion of mediation by lawyers who think it will result in loss of work for them.

Justice Rao virtually addressed an inaugural session of the 40- hour mediation training programme organised by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court at the high court campus in Lucknow.

Justice Rao stated that pre-litigation mediation was the best way to resolve disputes.

He asserted that lawyers are apprehensive that mediation would lead to loss of work (cases) for them but this is not the case.

Resolution of disputes through mediation would repose faith of people in the judicial system and it would bring more work for them (lawyers), Justice Rao said.

Lawyers must play the role of a conflict manager as they are better mediators than judges, he added.

He also stressed on the need to promote mediation at the level of the civil courts.

Justice Rao also laid stress on advance training for mediators so that master trainers were available to train mediators.

He also spoke about the importance of the bar associations for the success of mediation cells in courts.

He shared the success story of mediation cell of the Delhi high court.

Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court Justice Rajesh Bindal stressed on the importance of women mediators.

Justice Bindal said women mediators would prove to be more efficient in mediating in marital disputes. He also underscored the importance of online mediation.

Justice AR Masoodi, chairman, Mediation and Conciliation Supervisory Committee of the high court, gave the welcome address.

Justice Ramesh Sinha of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court presented the vote of thanks.

Bulbul Godiyal, senior advocate, Lucknow bench of the high court and secretary of Mediation and Conciliation organising committee here, apprised the gathering of the mediation centre and its achievements.