Justice Surya Kant calls for structured mediation and reform to bridge India’s dispute resolution gap

Supreme Court Judge and National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) Chairman, Justice Surya Kant, on Sunday emphasized the crucial role of mediation in strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms in India, and called for systemic reforms and greater professional recognition for mediators.

“There is an urgent need to institutionalize structured mediation across the country to ensure faster, more accessible, and efficient resolution of disputes,” he said while speaking at the 2nd National Mediation Conference.

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He pointed out the significant gap in India’s mediation infrastructure, highlighting that while the country needs approximately 2.5 lakh trained mediators, it currently has only around 13,000. “Structured mediation is the need of the hour, as the country requires 2.5 lakh mediators, whereas we currently have only 13,000,” he stated.

He further stressed the importance of enhancing “public trust in the mediation process, as well as ensuring policy-level support and formal professional recognition for mediators.”

The session, themed “Mediation: Challenges and the Way Forward,” was chaired by Justice Surya Kant and co-chaired by Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Justice M.M. Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.

The discussions focused on key areas, including mediation as a full-fledged profession, accreditation, career opportunities, and creating a sustainable ecosystem to support mediators. Emphasis was also placed on making mediation the first step in public dispute resolution, increasing awareness, building public confidence, sharing success stories, and improving access to justice to ensure that mediation reaches rural and marginalized communities.

Among the distinguished participants were Justice M. Sundar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur; Justice R. Suresh Kumar, Judge of the Madras High Court; Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, Judge of the Kerala High Court; Justice Sachin Datta, Judge of the Delhi High Court; Justice Harinath Nunepally, Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court; and senior advocate Nandini Gore.