Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has called for greater adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms to address mounting judicial pendency, saying India must position itself as a global hub for international commercial arbitration.
Speaking at the SIAC Annual India Conference on Friday, the Chief Justice highlighted the scale of pending litigation, noting that Indian courts were burdened with over five crore pending cases. He said the figure was not merely a statistic but represented millions of litigants awaiting justice, underscoring the urgent need to reduce the burden on conventional courts. Courts alone could not effectively handle the growing volume of litigation and, therefore, ADR should be regarded as the first choice rather than the last resort for dispute resolution, he said.
The Chief Justice observed that institutions such as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) could play a significant role in helping India emerge as a trusted destination for resolving international commercial disputes. He emphasised the need to make arbitration more efficient, transparent and cost-effective, adding that institutional arbitration not only ensured quicker resolution of disputes but also preserved commercial relationships and contributed to economic growth.
Besides advocating wider use of arbitration, the CJI also highlighted the need for broader reforms in the justice delivery system. He urged judges, lawyers and the corporate sector to incorporate arbitration clauses in commercial contracts, encouraged greater use of technology in dispute resolution, called for increased participation of women in adjudicatory processes, and stressed the importance of strengthening India’s legal framework. The justice delivery system in twenty-first century India, he said, must be fast, accessible and credible.
The conference brought together judges, jurists, senior advocates, arbitrators, industry leaders and legal experts to deliberate on strengthening India’s arbitration ecosystem and enhancing its standing as a preferred destination for international commercial arbitration.
Concluding his address, CJI Surya Kant said reducing judicial pendency was a shared responsibility of the Bar, the Bench and the business community, and called for collective efforts to build a more efficient and robust dispute resolution framework.
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