Vadodara’s PU’s Faculty of Law successfully hosted a one of a kind International Mediation Competition at its Vadodara campus, bringing together top legal minds and student teams from 29 universities across India, including 7 National Law Universities. This grand event served as a dynamic platform for aspiring legal professionals to hone their mediation and dispute resolution skills under the mentorship of esteemed jurists and legal scholars. The competition was graced by the presence of Hon’ble Supreme Court Justice Rajesh Bindal, Hon'ble Justice Shri Ujjal Bhuyan, sitting Supreme Court Justice, Hon’ble Justice Girish Kathpalia, and Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, whose insights and expertise added great value to the event.

“Despite the judiciary’s tremendous workload, we continuously strive for efficiency, but these numbers highlight the importance of ADR mechanisms like mediation and arbitration. The Mahabharata itself illustrates early forms of mediation, and even today, business communities, especially in Gujarat, prefer resolving disputes internally. However, despite legislative provisions in acts like the Industrial Disputes Act, Marriage Act, and MSME Development Act, mediation still faces challenges such as low attendance and a lack of trained mediators, especially at lower level”, said Hon’ble Justice Rajesh Bindal in his address. “Technology has undeniably transformed legal practice. Live-streaming constitutional bench hearings, video conferencing, e- filing, and platforms like the e-SCR initiative, which provides free access to over 37,000 Supreme Court judgments in 19 languages, have made justice more accessible”, he added.

While talking with the student gathering Hon'ble Justice Shri Ujjal Bhuyan, stated that “Over the years the profession of law has undergone tremendous change and going by the trends it is going for further transformation. A lawyer is not only the spokesperson for his client, the role of the lawyer has to be seen as a peacemaker”. “Mediation enables disputing parties to interact with the mediator and also the other parties, a completely voluntary process, which enables the parties themselves to be key players in the dispute resolution process. The mediator has to remain not only neutral but has to maintain confidentiality at all times”. “There are only 700 High Courts judges and 32 Supreme Court judges, it is so lucky that God has chosen you to dispense justice, dispensing justice is divine, nothing can be more important or divine than justice” he added.

In response to a question of whether judges should join political parties, he highlighted “firstly politics per se is not bad, it is a way of serving your nation, so hoping politics per se cannot be a bad choice, the question is of timing, whether one should join while in service by resigning from service, or immediately after the designating office”.

The presence of these esteemed legal luminaries underscored the growing significance of mediation in India’s legal landscape and reinforced PU’s commitment to fostering legal excellence among students. During his remarks, Hon’ble Girish Kathpaliya shared “having served as a judge for over 40 years, I can confidently say that while adjudication is necessary, the world needs more skilled mediators who can heal relationships, not just decide cases. The competition showcased a series of rigorous rounds where participants engaged in simulated mediation sessions, demonstrating their negotiation, problem-solving, and legal reasoning skills. The event provided an immersive learning experience, preparing students for the evolving landscape of alternative dispute resolution.

“Mediation is not just a dispute resolution tool it’s a mindset. It’s about building trust, fostering empathy, and seeking common ground. The fact that PU has taken the lead in championing this cause sets a national precedent for legal education”, shared Dr Sudhir Krishnaswamy during his remarks. The event not only celebrated legal talent but also fostered meaningful discussions on the role of mediation in the justice system. PU remains committed to nurturing future legal professionals through such initiatives, reinforcing its position as a center of academic and professional excellence in law.