Gujarat Legal Services Authority organizes 'Arb-Med' training program on integrating Mediation in Arbitration

The Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA) recently organized an orientation and training program, Arb-Med (Arbitration-Mediation), with the objective of "integrating the concept of mediation in commercial arbitration.".The program was held under the guidance of the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court and Patron-in-Chief of GSLSA, Justice Sunita Agarwal and the Executive Chairman of GSLSA, Justice Biren Vaishnav.Under the program, eleven lawyers who exclusively deal with commercial cases and arbitration matters, were shortlisted and imparted training for five days by senior mediators Tariq Khan from the Hyderabad International Arbitration and Mediation Centre and AJ Jawad from Training for excellence in Arbitration and Mediation, Chennai.The training program was conducted at the Gujarat State Judicial Academy in two phases. Broader aspects of mediation related to commercial disputes were discussed on May 4 and 5. From May 20 to 22, the eleven shortlisted advocates received in-depth training..The Chief Justice, who spoke at the event, explained that though arbitration is meant to reduce court involvement in disputes, many arbitration cases still end up in court. The Arb-Med process combines both arbitration and mediation methods to resolve commercial disputes more effectively, she opined while highlighting the new Mediation Act of 2023 which includes conciliation as part of mediation. .The Chief Justice also pointed out that current efforts in mediation often become mechanical and lack genuine engagement. The introduction of mediation within arbitration, particularly for commercial disputes, could lead to faster resolutions, she opined.She also added that this approach is especially relevant in Gujarat where a large part of the populace engage in commerce and industries..She further emphasized on the need to set up a mediation centre with trained mediators picked from amongst experienced lawyers in the High Court. These professionals could in turn train lawyers, who handle commercial disputes, to be mediators in arbitration cases. .In furtherance of this initiative, a proposal for establishing a mediation room or a Centre for the Gujarat High Court Arbitration Centre has been initiated where relatively smaller arbitration disputes such as claims involving family members or MSME disputes can be handled.Under the leadership of the Chief Justice, the concept of mediation has gained momentum in Gujarat. Some of the latest developments in this regard include training in mediation of nearly 130 advocates in smaller districts/ talukas and the inauguration of mediation centers in 45 talukas.