Attorney General R. Venkataramani on Friday called for a fundamental shift in India’s approach to dispute resolution, advocating a move away from an exclusively adversarial justice system towards one centred on mediation. Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day Commonwealth Peace Mediation Conference 2026 on the theme “Commonwealth Peace Mediation and the Rule of Law”, he said mediation should be treated as an integral component of the justice delivery system rather than merely an alternative to litigation.
Highlighting the changing nature of governance, commerce and cross-border disputes, the Attorney General observed that India’s legal institutions would have to evolve to meet contemporary challenges. He stressed that the objective of mediation should be to empower parties to arrive at solutions through active participation rather than merely reducing court dockets.
“
“The voice of mediation is a voice of self-affirmation… Why cannot we talk about parties being empowered and strengthened in arriving at solutions through their active participation? Mediation must now receive as much attention as the adversarial system. We need to come out of the mindset of merely making the existing system work better and instead build processes that truly enable parties to resolve disputes themselves.”
Calling for institutional reforms, Venkataramani proposed the establishment of a National Mediation Institute to drive research, training, accreditation and policy development. He also suggested constituting a national working group to recommend legislative and structural reforms, while expressing the hope that India would emerge as a global leader in mediation.
“
“We need a National Mediation Institute. We need to convert mediation into a recognised body of knowledge and reshape our legal framework to encourage it. We should set up a national working group to recommend legal changes, training structures, accreditation and institutional recognition. I also wish to see India become the headquarters of a global mediation association. The future lies not merely in access to justice, but in access to resolution not merely access to an institution, but access to a solution.”
The Attorney General also described mediation as an institutional mechanism capable of making justice more humane and participative, observing that as India assumes a larger global economic role, strengthening mediation would be essential for both domestic and international dispute resolution.