July 6, 2021: CODE PAKISTAN in collaboration with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) organized a 2-day regional training on Mainstreaming ADR for over 40 lawyers from the Islamabad Bar Association. It was part of a series of trainings being conducted on ADR for lawyers throughout the country. The objective of the training was to raise awareness and build the capacity of the lawyers of the Islamabad Bar Association to provide support to citizens in the quick and efficient resolution of disputes by using effective methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
A distinguished panel of local trainers were engaged to conduct the trainings through the use of available literature, local and international case studies, and personal examples arising from professional experiences. The program also offered a look into the evolution, scope, and methods of ADR in Pakistan with attention to the existing national ADR legislation and its implementation. Other areas of focus included the practical working of ADR in the form of Dispute Resolution Committees (DRCs), past experiences with ADR, the potential benefits and limitations of ADR in the criminal justice system, and the way forward in light of lessons learned so far and international best practices. In addition, the training for the lawyers of the Islamabad Bar Association included interactive sessions and group discussions with the participants on the subject of ADR.
The panel of trainers included the director FIA, Mr. Waqar Ahmed Chauhan, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Founder/President of the Islamabad Center for Arbitration and Resolution of Disputes, Dr. G.M. Chaudhry, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mr. Sardar Ijaz Khan, and the Deputy Inspector General (Headquarters) Islamabad Police, Mr. Kamran Adil.
The President of the High Court Bar Association Islamabad, Mr. Raja Zahid Mahmood, was also in attendance to inaugurate the training session. Both him and the President of CODE PAKISTAN, Mr. Dilawar Khan addressed the participants and thanked them for their participation. Mr. Mahmood went on to highlight the importance of ADR trainings in Pakistan and offered the platform of the Islamabad Bar Association for additional trainings and related activities on the subject. He also stressed on the need for a permanent ADR center in Islamabad.
The training concluded with the distribution of certificates to all participants by Mr. Mahmood and the President Islamabad Bar Association, Mr. Farid Hussain Kaif who expressed his appreciation for all those in attendance during the concluding ceremony.