#Section 89 CPC

The Allahabad High Court mandates that district courts enforce a strict 30-day deadline for filing written statements under Order VIII Rule 1 CPC and require immediate referral to alternative dispute resolution under Section 89 after pleadings close. Failure to comply triggers judicial accountability, with PDJs required to monitor and report delays, ensuring trials proceed day-to-day if ADR fails. This binds all subordinate courts in Uttar Pradesh to eliminate procedural delays that undermine access to justice.

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.

Kerala High Court upholds enforceability of mediated settlement under Section 89 CPC, setting aside impugned decree and substituting it with agreed terms.