Jammu/Srinagar, December 31: Under the patronage of Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the Mediation and Conciliation Committee of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Judicial Academy and the J&K Legal Services Authority, on Wednesday concluded the three-day “Conduct of Mediation – Advanced Course (Capsule Course), Training of Trainers Programme”, conducted simultaneously at the Jammu and Srinagar campuses of the J&K Judicial Academy.
The programme marked the successful culmination of a 20-hour advanced mediation training course. Designed for mediators and advocates, the programme focused on strengthening advanced mediation skills through a blend of theoretical inputs, roleplay exercises, and reflective practice.
The concluding day’s sessions were conducted by Puneeta Sethi, Advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Rita Das Mouzumdar, Advocate, Gauhati High Court, both accredited Mediation Trainers with the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) of the Supreme Court of India.
On the final day, participants engaged with advanced aspects of mediation practice. The sessions opened with a detailed module on Negotiation, covering negotiation styles, core negotiation skills, barriers to effective negotiation, cognitive biases, and the role of the mediator in facilitating principled and effective negotiations. The session included a roleplay exercise followed by discussion and reflection.
Subsequent sessions focused on Impasses in Mediation, examining the nature and causes of impasse and the stages of impasse. Participants were guided through the mediator’s role in managing deadlocks, including assessment strategies, option generation, lateral thinking, reframing, and the appropriate use of external resources.
The programme also addressed false impasses, avoidance strategies, and techniques for moving parties toward resolution. A dedicated session on ethics and standards of conduct to be followed by mediators highlighted professional responsibility, neutrality, and accountability in mediation practice.
Throughout the day, the sessions combined lectures, roleplays, and interactive discussions, enabling participants to consolidate learning from the previous two days and apply advanced concepts to practical mediation scenarios.
The concluding sessions were described by participants as highly reflective, offering a comprehensive understanding of advanced mediation techniques and reinforcing the importance of structured, ethical, and skill-based mediation practice.
At both Jammu and Srinagar wings, a formal Vote of Thanks was conveyed, expressing gratitude to the Hon’ble Chief Justice, the Governing Committees of the J&K Judicial Academy, the J&K Legal Services Authority, the resource persons, and the participating officers for ensuring the success of the programme.
Across both centres, participants appreciated the hands-on, simulation-based approach, noting that the structured role-plays offered practical clarity on how mediation tools can be integrated into everyday judicial work. The simultaneous conduct of the programme at Jammu and Srinagar reflects on-going efforts of the Hon’ble High Court of J&K and Ladakh to broaden mediation awareness and strengthen ADR capacity across the UT’s. With these acknowledgments, the simultaneous programmes at Jammu and Srinagar concluded on a dignified and purposeful note, marking the successful culmination of the day’s training proceedings.
