Democratizing the traditional mediation (Shalish) system

Shalish is a traditional village-level adjudicating mechanism through which judgment is given on diverse issues, ranging from marital discord to property distribution to access to common property resources. In the context of rural Bangladesh, shalish has a great legitimacy. This
legitimacy stems from, a) failure of the state in providing low-cost and easily accessible legal institutions, and b) the intimacy between shalish and the local community. The preference for shalish to legal courts stem from the alienated nature of the courts themselves, which are seen as corrupt, coercive, and insensitive to the needs of the rural populace.

The full publication, prepared by Nagorik Uddyog, follows: