Overview
- India’s two-day national mediation conference in Goa, organised by the BCI, BCI Trust and IIULER, opened with attendance from the CJI, several Supreme Court and high court judges, and Goa’s chief minister.
- The CJI underscored that mediation remains voluntary and cost-effective, describing it as a win-win process while affirming that courts will continue to decide matters unsuitable for mediation.
- He said the mediator pool must expand from roughly 39,000 to more than 250,000, paired with structured training, ethics and institutional support under the Mediation Act, 2023.
- He advanced a ‘multi-door courthouse’ vision that situates mediation and arbitration alongside litigation within court infrastructure, and administered an oath of mediation at the inaugural session.
- He said the Supreme Court, working with high courts, will prioritise high-volume categories that clog dockets, including cheque dishonour, land acquisition and taxation cases, and he led a Mediation Awareness Walk in Panaji to drive public outreach.