Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution Act, 2019

From: 2019-10-11 - To: 0000-00-00 An Act to provide for a system of alternate dispute resolution of civil and criminal disputes. It is necessary to ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice by means of an alternate dispute resolution system. Be it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows: 1. Short title, extent and commencement.– (1) This Act may be cited as the Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution Act 2019. (2) It shall extend to whole of the Punjab. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be so appointed for different areas of the Punjab. 2. Definitions.– In this Act: (a) “Act” means the Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution Act 2019; (b) “Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)” means a process in which parties’ resort to resolving a dispute, other than through adjudication by courts, and includes, but is not limited to, mediation, conciliation and evaluation; [2][(c) “ADR service provider or ADR center” means ADR service provider or ADR center accredited under the Act;] (d) ‘ADR person’ means a person who may undertake ADR under section 11 of the Act; [3][(dd) “Authority” means the accreditation Authority notified under section 21 of the Act;] [4][(ddd) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Authority;] (e) “Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898) [5][or, as the case may be, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908);] [6][(f) * * * * * * * * * * * *] (g) ‘court’ means a criminal court or a civil court having original jurisdiction under any law for the time being in force. [7][(gg) “Director General” means the Director General of the Authority;] (h) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; [8][(i) * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *] (j) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules made under the Act; (k) “rules” means the rules made under the Act; and (l) ‘settlement” means the agreement reached between the parties as a result of successful ADR. 3. Reference in civil disputes.– (1) A court shall refer a case mentioned in Schedule I of the Act to ADR within thirty days [9][from the date of filing of written statement by…