Gen Z lawyers more open to mediation: Supreme Court Justice Kotiswar Singh

Gen Z lawyers are more open to mediation than older generations and are likely to take it seriously if given proper training and are shown that it can offer a viable career, Supreme Court Justice N Kotiswar Singh recently opined.

The judge recalled asking around 15 interns how mediation was taught in their law colleges. Their responses indicated that it was treated “just like another, just a by-the-way kind of subject”.

He contrasted this with the importance given to moot court competitions and called for a similar push for mediation in colleges and universities. Greater exposure would allow students with different aptitudes to consider mediation as a career rather than merely treating it as a compulsory subject, he said.

“I don't want to criticise my generation, but this Gen Z generation are very, very sensitive. Given the proper training, the proper approach, they are going to accept....If we are able to show the positive aspects of this profession, that you can have a really good future profession in this mediation, they are going to take it very seriously,” he said.

Justice Singh made the remarks on August 8 during a fireside chat with Senior Advocate Rajeev Virmani at the International ADR Conference 2026, organised by Maadhyam International Council for Conflict Resolution in New Delhi.

Justice Singh also said several disputes which reach courts do not deserve to be litigated and had a substantial possibility of settlement. While Delhi has made considerable progress, the potential of mediation remained largely untapped across the country, he added.

Referring to the pendency of more than five crore cases, Justice Singh noted that around 80 per cent were before the district judiciary. Initiatives such as the Supreme Court’s Samadhan Samaroh would remain cosmetic unless courts, governments, mediators, trainers, lawyers, litigants and law students are strengthened, he said.

Justice Singh was particularly critical of the government’s approach to settlement despite being the country’s largest litigant.

He recalled attending a national conference in 2012 to work out a national litigation policy. However, he said he is yet to see its impact even in 2026.

“I frankly don't see, at least I have not seen in court, the impact of the policy,” he stated.

The judge said unnecessary appeals and review petitions filed by governments continue to clog the judicial system. Government officials participating in Lok Adalats also frequently refused to take responsibility for settlements because they lack the requisite authority and need approval from their superiors, he noted.

“So, there is a clear lack of a kind of responsibility to be given to certain official officers, stakeholders,” he said.

Justice Singh urged both the Central and State governments to formulate policies governing settlements and delegate sufficient authority to officials.

“Charity has to begin at home," he stated.

The government’s role could not be confined to providing infrastructure for mediation; rather its own conduct as a litigant also needed examination, the judge underscored.

Justice Singh separately flagged gaps in the implementation of the Mediation Act, 2023. He noted that the Mediation Council of India, which is expected to oversee implementation and frame standards, has not yet been established. This has created a vacuum concerning uniform training and accreditation of mediators, he said.

A panel discussion examined whether intellectual property disputes were better suited to mediation or arbitration. The session featured Anand and Anand Managing Partner Pravin Anand, International Arbitration and Mediation Centre Registrar AJ Jawad and PSL Advocates & Solicitors Partner Aakanksha Nehra. It was moderated by INTTL Advocare Founder and Managing Partner Hemant Singh.