India to Host BRICS Justice Ministers’ Meet on ADR Reforms in Gandhinagar

Ministry of Law and Justice will host the BRICS Senior Officials’ Meeting and Justice Ministers’ Meeting in Gandhinagar from May 19 to 22 under India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, with a focus on strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration.

The Senior Officials’ Meeting, scheduled for May 19 and 20, will bring together legal and policy officials from BRICS nations to discuss institutional mediation, arbitration reforms and measures to reduce court backlogs through faster dispute resolution systems. The Justice Ministers’ Meeting will follow on May 21 and 22, where ministers are expected to adopt a joint declaration on enhancing cooperation in ADR through capacity building and institutional collaboration.

According to the government, the meetings aim to promote affordable, accessible and speedy justice by encouraging alternatives to lengthy court litigation. Discussions will centre on sharing best practices, strengthening mediation and arbitration centres, improving pre-litigation and court-referred mediation, and using digital technologies for online dispute resolution.

The deliberations are also expected to focus on cross-border commercial disputes, legal research cooperation and training programmes for mediators, arbitrators, judges and government legal officers. India is positioning ADR as a key reform tool to improve ease of doing business and reduce the burden on courts.

While the official release referred to the original BRICS members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa the expanded BRICS grouping now also includes countries such as Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates.

Officials said the meetings would include plenary discussions and bilateral engagements aimed at deepening legal cooperation among BRICS countries and strengthening institutional frameworks for mediation and arbitration.