Mediation report in Ayodhya case submitted in SC, hearing tomorrow

New Delhi, AUG 01: The Ayodhya mediation panel has submitted its status report to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover on Thursday, in compliance with the apex court's earlier order. The Chief Justice of India bench led by Ranjan Gogoi will hear the matter on Friday.

The Constitution Bench, which consists of the CJI, Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer, noted that they would take a call on August 2 to decide if a hearing in the case is needed.

The Supreme Court had on 18 July asked the mediation committee on the Ayodhya land dispute to continue the mediation process and submit a report on the progress made till 31 July. The court also said that it will not put on record contents of the mediation report since it was to remain confidential.

The mediation panel comprises Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior Madras High Court advocate Sriram Panchu and former SC judge Kalifulla. The panel was constituted by the court on March 8.

What is Mediation in Ayodhya case?

Mediation is an out of the court and informal method of dispute resolution, where a neutral third party assists the parties in dispute to amicably resolve their disputes. The mediator will usually be former judges, advocates and people trained in mediation.

In some cases mediators can also express a view on what might be a fair or reasonable settlement.