Overview
- At a Bar Council of India–IIULER conference in Goa, the chief justice led a Panaji walk to promote mediation and opened proceedings by calling it cost-effective, people-centric and consensual.
- He emphasized that participation remains voluntary, with courts retaining trials where needed, and proposed court complexes that offer mediation, arbitration and litigation as tailored pathways.
- Capacity building dominated the agenda, with calls for standardized training and ethics frameworks and reports noting a significant mediator shortfall with differing estimates.
- Deliberations covered implementation of the Mediation Act, 2023, court-annexed and pre-litigation schemes, technology-enabled resolution and learning from international practice.
- Officials cited encouraging early outcomes from the Supreme Court’s ‘Mediation for Nation’ initiative and flagged high-volume categories like cheque-bounce, land acquisition and tax disputes for targeted diversion.