Legal Crisis and New Technology in Civil Courts: Urgent Need of Adopting Online Dispute Resolution in India

Choung,Yonghwan,Kumari,Saloni 대동문화재단 2021 대동CT연구 Vol.1 No.1

Expeditious settlement of disputes is pre-requisite of free economy, especially in the commercial matters. But pendency and backlog of cases in Indian judiciary has ransacked the working and functioning of nation as a whole. The underprivileged and poor people are the worst victim of this issue. Courtroom Litigation is a lengthy and expensive affair. And the pendency prolongs the cases for years depriving Justice to the needy as well as paralysing the economic activity of the nation. If this issue is not addressed in the near future, it has potential to crash the Indian judicial system under the weight of arrears. The idea of this paper is not to dwell upon the problem. It aims to explore the solutions and optimum methods needed for a reformative measure. Access of justice is a basic human right guaranteed by the common law. The Indian legal system is under constant pressure and questions have been raised as how do they plan to continue the justice delivery system. Thus, there is a need to prioritise the issue of pendency and access to justice to all. Since, a major dependency now lies upon the online and digital mode, the productivity during pandemic and even for future, can be enhanced through improved infrastructure of the online mode of alternative dispute settlement. The pandemic has reshaped how pending cases and future cases will be adjudicated. In light of this, the paper aims to divert the attention towards Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) and specifically Online modes of Dispute resolution and evaluate the efficacy of Online Dispute Resolution (“ODR”) mechanisms.

Understanding Indian Mediation: Comparison of Indian and Korean Mediation Programs

( Yonghwan Choung ),( Byungdo Park ),( Saloni Kumari ) 건국대학교 법학연구소 2021 一鑑法學 Vol.- No.49

Our societies are in constant state of dispute. We need a mechanism of dispute resolution, which is less formal, fast, flexible, cheaper, voluntary, and devoid of lengthy procedures. Mediation is one such method, which is operational in India as well as in Korea. Although the process of dispute resolution through mediation has existed since ages, it has not been able to gain the popularity that it needs. There are several issues responsible for the same and through this research we aim to identify all such problems and try to reach desirable outcome. The purpose and objective of the research is to draw a comparative analysis of contemporary mediation program in India and Korea. The focus is upon the working techniques of court-connected/court- led mediation. The comparative approach of India and Korea would help in understanding the basic concept of mediation, functioning in both the jurisdiction. In the midst of Pandemic, when countries were under lockdown we managed to use empirical method of data collection by conducting interviews with several experts/professionals (mostly working mediators at India and Korea). We found that, although, the rationale behind adoption of mediation in India and in Korea varies but, there exist a common need of enhancement and regularizing the status of mediation program. Both the countries lack mediation culture and awareness among the lawyers, judges and the parties. We found, Indian mediation program is similar to US mediation program. Both have similar way of appointment of mediators and enforcement of settlement agreement. Whilst, the mediation program in Korea is a hybrid/ combination of both India and US, with its distinct features.

영국 법률상 생활방해의 적용과 한계

정용환(Choung, Yonghwan) 동아대학교 법학연구소 2023 東亞法學 Vol.- No.98

영미법계의 무과실책임에 관한 연구 - 인도불법행위법상의 절대책임론을 중심으로 -

정용환(Yonghwan Choung) 동아대학교 법학연구소 2020 東亞法學 Vol.- No.89

신남방정책에 의하여, 인도와의 교류가 점차 확대되고 있다. 그럼에도 불구하고, 물적교류가 증대하는 만큼, 아직까지 인도에 대한 우리의 이해가 크지 않다. 최근 2020년 5월 인도의 LG화학공장에서 독성가스누출로 인하여 수백명이 가스에 누출되고 최소 13명의 사망자가 발생하는 사고가 있었다. 이에 대하여, 인도측에서는 LG화학에 불법행위법상의 절대책임을 부과하여야 한다는 여론이 있었다. 이 같은 논의는 우리민법의 입장에서는 생소한 법리이기에 소개하는 바이다. 위에 언급한 LG화학의 가스누출사고와 유사한 사고가1984년의 보팔가스누출사고와 1985년의 델리가스누출사고 (M.C. Mehta 사례)가 있었다. 보팔사고에서만 3700여명의 사상자가 발생한 후에 M.C. Mehta 사례에서 절대책임론에 대한 논의를 시작하였다. 인도는 영미법계에 속하여 영국의 엄격책임론을 계수하였음에도 불구하고, 1987년 인도대법은 M.C. Mehta 사례에서 인도만의 특수한 사회경제적 상황을 고려하여 새로운 법리인 절대책임론을 도입하였다. 대규모의 피해로 인하여 다수의 사상자를 양산하는 ‘지극히 위험하고 내재적 위험성을 내포한 활동을 허가하는 조건으로 해당 활동에 의한 손해의 발생시에는 절대적인 책임을 부과하여야 한다고 보았다. 이는 기존의 엄격책임론에서 요구하는 ‘피고측의 토지내의 위험한 물질이 누출되어 피해자에게 손해를 가하여야 한다’는 구성요건과 5가지의 면책사유를 둔 것과는 명백한 차이를 두고 있다. 그러나, 절대책임론에서는 ‘지극히 위해하고 내재적으로 위험한 활동에 의한 피해’라는 명확하지 않는 구성요건과 면책사유를 전혀 두지 않아 적용상의 문제점에 대한 비판이 있다. According to the New Southern Policy, the volume of trade between Korea and India was increased. However, Korean, especially related businessmen, do not have a deep understanding to India’s legal and economic circumstances. In May 2020, LG Chemical was involved a gas leakage accident in India caused at least 13 deaths. In India, there are a strong opinion to apply the rule of Absolute Liability into the gas leakage accident caused by LG Chemical. Based on Bhopal gas leakage accident, this disaster resulted in the death of at least 3700 death and serious injuries. In M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, the India Supreme Court developed the Absolute Liability theory even though the India judiciary have adopted the rule of Strict Liability originally came from U.K. The India Supreme Court evolved the rule of Absolute Liability because the rule Strict Liability from Rylands v. Fletcher came from the 19th Century and it could not be applicable in a totally different kind of economy of India. The Indian judiciary devolve that an enterprise should be absolutely liable for a potential threat to the health and safety of the persons who work or reside around it that is engaged in a hazardous or inherently dangerous industry poses. However, some criticized that the rule of Absolute Liability does not provide a clear and definite terms of ‘hazardous or inherently dangerous activity’ even though the rule of Strict Liability provides the elements and exception as defenses.

인도 쓰레기매립지의 환경문제에 관한 법적 해결 방안에 대한 연구

정용환(Yonghwan Choung),Siddharth Shukla(Siddharth Shukla ) 한국국가법학회 2023 국가법연구 Vol.19 No.1

본고는 인도의 수도 근교에 위치한 쓰레기매립지에서 나타나는 문제점을 살펴보고, 이를 해결하기 위한 수단으로 현재 인도정부에서 적용하고자 하는 폐자원에너지화(Waste-to-Energy)정책을 고찰하고자 한다. 인도는 고체쓰레기관리를 위한 규제와 관련법을 준비하였으나, 그 적용상의 한계로 인하여 많은 환경문제에 직면해 있다. 특히 인도는 환경법 등을 통해 도시고체폐기물처리에 대한 논의를 오랫동안 지속해왔음에도 불구하고 여전히 이 문제를 해결하지 못하는 것은 행정적 의지의 부족으로 판단된다. 인도는 세계 2위의 인구대국으로 많은 생활쓰레기를 양산하였다. 이를 효과적으로 처리하지 못하면서 환경문제와 건강에 관련된 문제를 직면하게 되었다. 특히, 쓰레기매립지를 소홀히 관리하면서, 매립지와 상린관계에 있는 주변지역에 생활방해를 비롯하여 다양한 환경문제를 초래하였다. 이를 해결하기 위하여 폐자원에너지화(waste-to-energy policy)를 적용가능하다. 폐자원에너지화는 고체쓰레기를 자원으로 한 화력발전을 의미한다. 고체쓰레기를 청정에너지로 사용하여 공해를 줄이고자 하는 시도이다. 그러나, 이러한 인도의 폐자원에너지화 정책은 경제적인 이유로 인하여 정책적인 문제를 한계에 직면하였다. 환경과 건강에 직접적인 영향을 미치는 쓰레기매립지에서 초래되는 분쟁을 해결하기 위하여, 현재 영국에서 적용하고 있는 법률상 생활방해(statutory nuisance)의 적용가능성을 살펴보고자 한다. This paper considers the environmental disputes caused by the landfills located in Delhi, India and reviews the Indian Waste-to-Energy policy to resolve the environmental conflicts. India has sound waste management rules and regulations but they are not implemented effectively. Even though the Indian government has applied current Indian environmental policies, such as municipal solid waste rule, it could not properly resolve these disputes based on a lack of administrative will-power. India being the world’s second most populous country generates an enormous amount of garbage. While the waste generated is not managed effectively, it might lead to deterioration of human health and the environment. The waste is usually dumped in Landfills. However, these landfills are poorly managed, and the waste keeps overflowing. Numerous Landfills have led to fire around the locality, and they are a source of nuisance to the neighbourhood. One of the possible solutions could be using waste to energy plants. Waste-to-energy plants use state of the art technology to incinerate the garbage to produce energy. Waste could be used to produce clean energy and could curb pollution. However, the application of thermal technology for waste-to-energy in India is not well controlled because the cost of using crude oil is much cheaper than the expense of applying waste-to-energy technology in India. One of the possible remedies could be under statutory nuisance which would compel the regulatory authorities to protect the human health and the environment.