“Justice delayed is justice denied.” William Ewart Gladstone

“Justice delayed is justice denied.”

The justice system of Pakistan is on the brink of collapse. You have heard this phrase from almost every expert in legal and jurisprudential systems. But what is this doomsday about? The answer to this lies in our legal system being compromised on inclusive function over dysfunctional in many ways. The criminal and civil justice systems are cornerstones for every state to maintain social order and tranquility. They pave the way for a just society, including the rule of law.

Constitutionalism and its apparatus are what matter most in civilized society. However, in Pakistan, the former and latter concepts seem to have no relevance to the country’s image. The issues must have been there, but the problem is reluctant behavior, which makes it more and more stringent to adopt new ways. On the other hand, the global world has identified the new horizons in legal studies and consequently implemented them, which produces potentially positive and long-term results.

Defining Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Among these systems, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is one of the primary and effective systems that provides a meaningful alternative to the slow process commonly known as “litigation.” Alternative Dispute Resolution, in simple terms, refers to “methods used to settle disagreements without going to court, such as arbitration or mediation.” It has so many other branches, which make it more quintessential in different ways. In addition to these effective terminologies, conciliation, negotiation, and good offices are key services performed in the meantime while adjudicating matters.

Historically, ADR was developed in Rome, where matters of trade were numerous. Whereas being involved in traditional litigation requires extra money, time, and resources. Consequently, the jurists of that time perceived that it would be more helpful for them to develop a new method for getting justice more easily and more timely. Subsequently, it was ADR that made a new way and unfolded the path of the justice system more expansively. Firstly, it........

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