SharpSettle

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) will publish a draft framework for dispute resolution, as it seeks to boost consumer trust in the ambitious initiative, which is slated to go live later this month.

The online dispute resolution (ODR) will be handled by a third-party agency that will review the digital trail left behind by individual orders and take a call.

Consumers will be able to track the status of complaints, how many are resolved, and will be involved in the final rating of merchants on the network.

ONDC will also record all complaints filed against a particular entity, linked directly to the network-wide reputation index that tabulates percentages of complaints raised, resolved or not resolved, as well as those that consumers may choose to take to consumer courts.

The draft document will be based on the ODR Policy Plan published by an expert committee of the Centre’s public policy think tank Niti Aayog in October 2021.

Why it’s needed: ONDC’s move comes amid a debate on the need for a robust dispute resolution framework if ONDC is to compete effectively against the likes of ecommerce majors Amazon and Flipkart.

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Online dispute resolution is an
example of social engineering

“More than 16 million disputes have been on-boarded in online dispute resolution (ODR) systems in the country two years after NITI Aayog's initiative to advance ODRs”

- Nandan Nilekani, Chairman and Co-founder, Infosys

Source: The Hindu

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“In traditional mediation wherein the parties have to travel long distances to attend the proceedings, ODR saves valuable time and resources. Its promising to witness significant strides being taken towards modernizing mediation - such as utilization of video conferencing to conduct proceedings, software applications to sift through mass volumes of submissions made thereby allowing the Mediator to focus on the most imperative information, and efforts made by the government in its recommendations provided by the NITI Aayog Expert committee on ODR”

- Justice S. Ravindra Bhat

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Benefits of virtual hearings:

Accessibility

Remote hearings are undoubtedly boosting access to justice by making it easier for participants to appear, particularly in circumstances where parties are unable to attend court due to illness or otherwise.

Efficiency

Remote hearings are logistically more efficient. The judicial system was already experiencing a backlog pre-pandemic, and additional downtime last few years added to the build-up in cases. Virtual hearings provide more flexibility and help reduce delays.

Reduction in travel

In the legal sector, pre-pandemic, travel was a disruptive but necessary part of the industry. There was not only the cost associated with travelling but also the time spent doing so. Whether driving miles across the country for domestic cases or flying internationally, travelling was lost time in productivity.

Cost-saving

Virtual hearings are more cost-efficient than in-person cases, primarily due to travel costs and court hire. A large factor is the cost of staff at court sites and the use of multiple locations in the process.

Carbon footprint

Whether that was global travel pre-pandemic or current domestic travel across the country, hosting a physical hearing can clock up some serious miles through transportation, and this results in high levels of emissions from all parties.

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Why SharpSettle?

Pretty simple.

Held Online hence Convenient.

Asynchronous Communication makes it extremely user friendly.

Its Fast which makes it efficient and time saving.

Its Cost Effective which makes it affordable and readily accessible to all.

All the above advantages makes it a stellar tool to Increase Access to Justice in India.

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