Shushma Mishra v. Hem Nath Mishra
Background
The appellant had approached the Supreme Court against a judgment of the Jharkhand High Court in a civil appeal, in a matter also connected to a pending money suit filed by the respondent against the appellant in a trial court and a writ petition filed by the respondent pending before the High Court. On the Supreme Court's suggestion, the parties attempted mediation with the assistance of a court-appointed mediator and reached an amicable settlement, recorded in a Settlement Agreement dated 19 April 2016.
Decision Breakdown
The Supreme Court disposed of the appeal strictly in terms of the parties' Settlement Agreement. It directed the respondent to pay the appellant Rs. 5,00,000 by demand draft within two days, and a further Rs. 2,00,000 within six weeks, in full and final settlement of all claims between the parties, with no further claims to be raised. As part of the settlement, the pending money suit and writ petition between the parties were to stand dismissed as withdrawn, and the appeal was disposed of with no order as to costs.
Lesson Learnt
Parties in long-running litigation can bring multiple pending cases to a complete and binding end through court-assisted mediation, once a settlement is recorded and accepted by the Court, it becomes a final, enforceable resolution of all related claims between them.