Delhi High Court Bar Association Launches Dedicated Mediation Readings Corner

The Delhi High Court Bar Association Library has launched a dedicated “Mediation Readings Corner”, a specialised space for books, journals, e-magazines and other scholarly material on mediation.

The corner was inaugurated by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya at an event organised by Team E-Mediation Writings (EMW) at Bar Room 18 of the Delhi High Court, where the 22nd E-Edition of E-Mediation Writings was also released. The event brought together members of the Delhi High Court Bench, senior members of the Bar, mediators and legal professionals.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Justice Upadhyaya described mediation as having “enormous untapped potential” and said that “mediation is actually the future.” He stressed the need to fully operationalise the Mediation Act, 2023, particularly through the constitution and functioning of the Mediation Council of India, and noted that provisions on accrediting mediators and mediation service providers would require the Council to be functional. He also highlighted the need for appropriate safeguards for government officers participating in mediation and called for greater participation by lawyers, saying that the legal profession must recognise mediation as another important branch of legal practice.

Justice Rajendra Menon, Chief Justice-designate of the Patna High Court, also emphasised the need to constitute and make the Mediation Council of India functional. He shared his experience introducing mediation mechanisms within the Indian Army and facilitating training for Army officers as mediators in matrimonial disputes involving Army personnel.

Justice V. Kameswar Rao congratulated Team EMW on its 22nd edition and spoke about mediators' role in facilitating settlements and the importance of recognising their efforts. Senior Advocate Priya Hingorani highlighted the importance of recognising mediators, particularly those who undertake mediation work without the visibility or recognition often associated with private mediation.

Team EMW’s initiative traces its roots to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it began disseminating mediation-related knowledge digitally, and has since evolved into a platform covering mediation developments, practices, articles and updates. The newly launched Mediation Readings Corner is envisaged as the beginning of a wider initiative, with Team EMW proposing similar dedicated spaces in High Court libraries across States and Union Territories and at the Supreme Court. The proposed network would give lawyers, judges, mediators, and other members of the legal profession access to books, journals, e-magazines, research material, judgments, articles, and contemporary developments in mediation.