Pakistan, Aug. 24 -- When we talk about justice in Pakistan, the discussion usually revolves around the backlog of cases, the growing burden on courts and delays in delivering judgments. The pressure on the judicial system is certainly a reality, but there is another aspect that deserves greater attention: not every dispute needs to end up in court. Many disputes can be resolved through timely dialogue, mediation and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution, without requiring the parties to enter into years of litigation.

Consider an ordinary business dispute. Two parties disagree over a contract, the matter reaches court, lawyers become involved, hearings continue, and a dispute that might have been settled through a few meetings c...