New Delhi, Aug 2 Delhi Lt Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena announced on Wednesday said that the long-pending proposal for the enhancement of honorarium to be paid to Advocate Mediators working in the Mediation Centers in Delhi District Courts functioning at Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka, Saket, and Patiala House Courts Complexes has been approved.
An official said that the L-G's approval for enhancement in honorarium to the Advocate Mediators, which was not increased since 2014, will help those whose remuneration had stagnated.
As per the revised honorarium, which is to be paid with effect from May 7, 2022, Rs 5,000 would be paid to the Mediators in cases of settlement through Mediation, and Rs 1,000 per case subject to a maximum of Rs 3,000 in the connected cases.
In cases of no settlement (if the party fails to arrive at an amicable settlement despite three effective hearings), the Mediators would be paid Rs 2,500.
Earlier, no honorarium was applicable for Mediators in case of no settlement.
On February 4, 2014, the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC), Supreme Court, had decided that with effect from April 1, 2015, Rs 3,000 per case (with two or more connected cases, the maximum would be Rs 4,000) be paid to Mediators on settlement through mediation of matrimonial cases (including criminal), custody, guardianship, probate, partition, and possession, and for all other matters Rs 2,000 per case (with two or more connected cases, the maximum would be Rs 3,000).
According to the 2014 decision, Rs 500 per case subject to a maximum of Rs 1,000 (regardless of the number of connected cases) was to be paid to the mediators, and no honorarium was applicable in case if no settlement.
On perusing the file, the L-G took note that the Principal District and Sessions Judge informed that in a meeting held in 2021, the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC), Supreme Court, noticed that there has been no increase in Honorarium payable to the Mediators since 2014 and accordingly enhanced the rates of Honoraria to be paid to the Advocates/Mediators throughout the country.
"Subsequently, in the meeting held on March 23, the MCPC had further resolved that the decision to enhance the honorarium being paid to the Mediators was recommendatory and it is for the concerned high courts and state government to accept the proposal contained in the resolution dated December 15, 2021, as adequate funds for Mediation are to be made available by the concerned state government. The recommendation of the MCPC to enhance the honorarium to be payable to the Mediators has been accepted by the Delhi High Court with effect from May 7, 2022," it said.
--IANS
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