Former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Gita Mittal has been selected for the International Mediation Award 2021 for her role in peacekeeping in social life and judiciary through mediation.Bangladesh International Mediation Society (BIMS) Chairman Advocate S N Goswami announced her name in a programme organized at Hotel Inter-Continental Dhaka. The award will be handed over on November 4, the Constitution Day of Bangladesh.The other awardees are— Judges of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Ahmed Sohel, Dr Kevin Berry Brown, former Judge of the Indian Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph, former Judge of the Kenyan High Court Joyce Aluoch and Senior Reporter of online news portal dhakapost.com Mahidi Hsana Dalim.It is pertinent to mention here that Justice Gita Mittal was the first woman to serve as the Chief Justice of J&K High Court. During her 28-months long tenure, she initiated many programmes to make justice available to all especially women.She launched a YouTube channel for the J&K courts, beside a unique programme called ‘Insaaf Ki Dastak’ to enable litigants residing in remote, far-flung areas of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh to file cases via existing postal service, without having to visit courts. She also set up ‘camp courts’ in different locations.At present, Justice Mittal is the Chairperson of Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), an independent, self-regulatory body for general entertainment channels set up by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). She is the first woman to hold this position.
