Jaipur: Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant will inaugurate the three-day Commonwealth Peace Mediation and Rule of Law Conference in Jaipur, Friday.The conference, organised by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA), will bring together judges, legal experts and representatives from 52 Commonwealth countries. It aims to promote mediation as an effective dispute resolution mechanism and strengthen the rule of law.The inaugural session will also be attended by Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Justice Abha Nayar Patel of the Supreme Court of Zambia.Speaking to TOI on Thursday, RSLSA member secretary Hariom Atri said the conference seeks to encourage mediation as a faster, cost-effective and people-centric alternative to conventional litigation. “Disputes that often take years to be decided by courts can be resolved within a few months through mediation, reducing pendency while ensuring amicable settlements between parties,” he said.The event will bring together judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts, judicial officers, attorneys general, senior advocates and legal experts from across the Commonwealth.International delegates include Justice A.H.M. Nawaz of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Justice Vashisht V. Kokaram of the Bahamas Court of Appeal, and representatives from the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Kenya, Eswatini, the Maldives and several other Commonwealth nations.A key outcome of the conference will be the Jaipur Peace Mediation Declaration, which will lay down guiding principles for mediation and the rule of law. The declaration is expected to serve as a roadmap for strengthening mediation practices across Commonwealth countries.
