{"id":387337,"date":"2026-06-17T10:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T05:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=387337"},"modified":"2026-06-17T11:53:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T06:23:02","slug":"cji-surya-kant-speaks-at-indian-high-commission-at-london-on-mediation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/06\/17\/cji-surya-kant-speaks-at-indian-high-commission-at-london-on-mediation\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cPeople in India talk of, understand, and prefer mediation\u201d: CJI Surya Kant speaks at Indian High Commission at London"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Following LIDW 2026, the Indian High Commission in London organized an event on 10 June 2026 at the India House. The event was graced by dignitaries, such as Justice Surya Kant<\/span>, Chief Justice of India; Lord Nicholas Archibald Hamblen<\/span>, Lord Hamblen of Kersey, Judge of the Supreme Court of the UK; Ms. Kirsty Brimelow KC<\/span>, President of the Bar Council of England & Wales; and Mr. Brett Dixon<\/span>, Vice President of the Law Society of England & Wales.<\/p>\n

After the opening address was delivered by Indian High Commissioner Mr. Periasamy Kumaran<\/span>, CJI Surya Kant delivered some opening remarks wherein he covered a detailed overview of steps taken by the judiciary, in addition to the mediation act, and the steps taken by the judiciary in promoting mediation in India. Thereafter, a panel discussion was conducted with the dignitaries as the panellists and Ms. Tanvi Dubey<\/span>, Advocate on Record, Supreme Court of India, as the moderator.<\/p>\n

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Opening Address: Mr. P. Kumaran<\/p>\n

At the outset, Mr. Kumaran reflected on the remarkable growth of the India-UK Economic and Investment Partnership. He stated that the future of the relationship sits at the intersection of three important frameworks we have agreed on, i.e., the India-UK Vision 2035, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreements (CETA), the Technology Security Initiative (TSI), and several other joint working groups we have set up for enhancing cooperation on emerging technologies, joint research, and critical environments.<\/p>\n

“These exchanges are emblematic of the strength, maturity, and growing strategic importance of bilateral relations.”<\/p>\n

He noted that bilateral trade between India and the UK currently stands at approximately £48 billion and stated that the ambition of doubling trade by 2030 is now increasingly achievable. He emphasized that the recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA, i.e., the CETA) extends beyond tariff reductions to include digital customs systems, streamlines rules of origin, promotes regulatory alignment, enhances transparency, and enables businesses to move goods more efficiently and at lower cost. He added that it also included commitments on faster customs procedures, recognition of electronic authentication, protection against false source code transfer, and cooperation on emerging technologies. CETA’s emphasis on service market access, professional qualifications, and business mobility meant that it is also about building the legal and institutional grounding that makes higher-earning, faster-earning, cross-border business development.<\/p>\n

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On the investment front, Mr. Kumaran remarked that India and the United Kingdom were increasingly emerging as balanced and dynamic partners. Investment flows were becoming more reciprocal, reflecting growing confidence in each other’s markets and long-term economic prospects. Other institutional mechanisms, such as the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, co-chaired by the Finance Ministers of both countries, continue to explore ways to deepen cooperation in financial services, fintech, and the digital economy.<\/p>\n

“Through sustained economic and regulatory reforms, a new national logistics policy, expanded public-private partnership frameworks, asset privatisation initiatives, and reforms in taxation, labour codes, foreign investment, and trade policy, India is creating a more transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly ecosystem. These reforms are laying the foundation for sustained growth and deeper integration in global markets.”<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/span> As International Arbitration Mirrors Complexities It Was Designed to Escape, Mediation Emerges as the Frontier of Commercial Agility: CJI Surya Kant at UK Supreme Court<\/a><\/p>\n

Turning to dispute resolution, he argued that technological innovation is transforming mediation into a faster, more accessible, and data-driven process. Technologies such as virtual hearings, AI-assisted analysis, electronic contracts, secure document exchange, and online dispute resolution platforms are expected to become integral components of mediation.<\/p>\n

“A robust risk-resolution framework provides a stable environment for international transactions, reinforces contractual confidence, and facilitates increasingly complex cross-border commercial activity.”<\/p>\n

However, he stressed that artificial intelligence cannot replace human mediators because successful mediation fundamentally depends upon trust-building, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal communication. Thus, the real change was perhaps a shift from mediation as a purely interpersonal craft to a hybrid practice in which human judgement is augmented by digital tools. <\/p>\n

Mr. Kumaran elaborated that mediators, counsel, and institutions will need stronger digital literacy, better cybersecurity practices, clearer rules on confidentiality, and more explicit safeguards around bias and transparency in AI systems. He concluded by emphasizing that if handled well, technology can widen access, shorten timelines, and improve settlement quality.<\/p>\n

Mediation in India: Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant<\/p>\n

In his opening remarks, Justice Surya Kant explained the role of the Indian judiciary in promoting mediation. Dividing the same into two segments, pre- Mediation Act, 2023, and post-Mediation Act, he traced the development through several milestones:<\/p>\n

1. Pre-Mediation Act:<\/p>\n