Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR)
(CADR Website)
Aims and Objectives of the Centre
Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR) has been established to promote students’ and researchers’ interest in Alternative Dispute Resolution constituting dispute resolution methods like Arbitration, Negotiation, Mediation and Conciliation. ADR mechanisms are slowly gaining momentum and are becoming a part of Indian justice delivery system. It is all due to the efforts of Legal Services Authorities under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. These dispute resolution methods, though more economical and faster are not yet very popular among common Indian masses. CADR endeavours to promote and develop ADR as a vehicle of socio-economic and political justice. The ultimate objective of the Centre is to strengthen ADR mechanism in the country by emerging as a platform for students to further their interests in the field. A strong team of teachers and students is working towards achieving this end.
Functions of the Centre
Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR) works towards developing a congenial environment for students and researchers to further their interest in ADR. The Centre regularly organizes Seminars, Workshops, Guest Lectures, Panel discussions etc., where eminent speakers give insights into the theoretical and practical world of ADR.
Research Paper Writing Competitions and Essay writing competitions are held by the Centre to promote research in the area of ADR.To promote ADR among the RGNUL community; quizzes and other competitions are regularly conducted at the Intra university level.
The Centre organizes the National Mediation Competition on the theme of Sports and Entertainment law, known as the RGNUL Sports and Entertainment Law Mediation Competition (SEMC), every year around the month of March, to further the interest of various law students across the country in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
In addition to this, the Centre initiated a National Negotiation Competition in association with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM) in the year 2021 and an Essay Writing Competition in association with Australian Dispute Centre (ADC) in the year 2022. With initiatives like this, the Centre aims to acquaint the participants not only with the procedural aspects of ADR mechanisms but also help them in honing their inter-personal skills. The Centre also organizes Arbitral Award Writing Competition in collaboration with Surana and Surana International Attorneys, Chennai.
With an aim to inculcate the knowledge of ADR amongst the masses, the Centre has time and again come up with such initiatives and aims to continue taking up more of them in future.
CADR has not limited its vision to law students and scholars alone, rather it has a greater objective of making the common masses aware of ADR, especially Mediation, Arbitration and Lok Adalats as an alternative to the traditional court based litigation. In pursuance of the same, awareness drives are being conducted in the Patiala district. The members of the Centre, while explaining the residents the merits and demerits of ADR, encourage them to exercise these methods of dispute resolution wherever possible.
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Dr. Gurmanpreet Kaur
Associate Professor of Law
Co-ordinator, Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR)
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab
Contact No: 9501034463