Mediation Turns Fractures into Friendships, Offering Hope Beyond Conflict: Justice Surya Kant
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Bhubaneswar, 27, September,2025- Saturday – Emphasizing the power of dialogue over discord, Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant on Saturday underscored the crucial role of mediation in strengthening human relationships and delivering justice. Speaking at the 2nd National Conference on Mediation held in Bhubaneswar, Justice Surya Kant used the metaphor of the “Mathematics of Mediation,” saying it “subtracts bitterness, divides burdens, and adds hope to broken human relations.”
Drawing inspiration from the historic city of Kalinga, Justice Kant observed that “true strength lies not in force but in dialogue,” noting that mediation opens doors to multiple possibilities beyond litigation.
“The change is already upon us. Only recently, at a Supreme Court Bar Association lecture, I witnessed an advocate confess that his clients increasingly insist on mediation before litigation. This is how culture shifts—quietly at first, then unmistakably. Law firms now highlight dispute resolution; traditional chambers recognise that collaboration can preserve what confrontation destroys.”
Highlighting recent reforms, Justice Kant lauded the Mediation Act, 2023 for providing a statutory foundation for mediation in India. He pointed out that cultural acceptance of mediation is growing, with clients increasingly insisting on it and law firms recognizing it as a tool to preserve relationships.
” Above all, the future of mediation will be determined by the commitment of judges, lawyers, mediators, community leaders, and ordinary citizens alike, to embrace dialogue, foster understanding, and prioritize collaborative solutions over confrontation. Only through this collective and sustained effort can mediation truly become a trusted, integral part of India’s justice ecosystem, reaching beyond courts to touch the everyday lives of people across the country.”
He also referred to the Supreme Court’s recent initiative “Mediation for the Nation,” stating, “If trials deliver verdicts, mediation delivers futures,” underlining its potential to transform dispute resolution in India.
The conference brought together legal professionals, mediators, and policymakers to explore the evolving role of mediation in India’s justice delivery system, reinforcing its potential to foster a more collaborative and compassionate legal culture.
