#family dispute resolution

Rajasthan High Court holds that a trial court cannot take cognizance of an offence based on a negative final report without recording specific reasons for disagreeing with the police report. The Court stayed criminal proceedings and directed mediation in a family dispute involving minor offences under Sections 323 and 341 IPC, emphasizing procedural fairness and the impact on the accused's career prospects.

The Bombay High Court has ruled that courts cannot mandate mediation in civil suits under Section 89 CPC even when family disputes are involved, affirming that the Mediation Act, 2023 requires unanimous consent. This clarifies that consensual mediation is a procedural right, not a judicial tool to be imposed - impacting litigants, mediators, and courts across India handling civil disputes with familial overtones.