40-hour mediation training programme concludes

Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA), under the aegis of the Mediation & Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC), Supreme Court of India, concluded a 40-hour intensive mediation training programme at Hotel Japfü on February 26.
The programme culminated with a certificate distribution ceremony, during which NSLSA member secretary Neiko Akami delivered the closing address. He commended the senior trainers from MCPC, Reema Bhandari and Rita Das Mozumdar, for imparting their expertise through structured mediation modules and practical techniques.
Highlighting the significance of mediation, Akami stated that mediators are professionally trained individuals who assist parties in conflict to arrive at mutually acceptable agreements. He emphasized that mediators act as neutral facilitators, guiding disputing parties toward resolution.
He further underlined that the role of a mediator demands honesty and integrity, adding that disputes resolved through mediation are permanently settled. Agreements reached through the process are binding, enforceable in courts, and final.
Akami noted that the training programme aimed to equip at least two counsels from each district of Nagaland with mediation skills.
He expressed optimism that cases referred by courts or those eligible for mediation would be effectively handled by the trained professionals.
During the 40-hour intensive course, senior trainers covered a wide range of topics including ground rules of mediation, conflict management and resolution, types and processes of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), roles of lawyers, communication skills, negotiation and bargaining techniques, stages of impasse, mediator reflection, professional ethics, and ethical principles for judicial and advocate mediators.
As per the provisions of the Mediation Act, 2023, courts or tribunals may refer parties to mediation at any stage of proceedings.
The training was conducted for advocates with a minimum of 10 years of standing at the Bar. To qualify as a certified mediator, candidates must complete a 40-hour intensive mediation training programme accredited by the MCPC, Supreme Court of India.
Altogether, 26 mediators from 11 districts across Nagaland received completion certificates at the conclusion of the programme.